The Fox and The Hound
by AshleeTheDragon
Summary: A yaoi version of the classic Disney movie 'The Fox and The Hound'. My story will not b exactly the same. Also, don't like yaoi? Don't read, don't flame. Details inside. SASUNARU, NARUSASU. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

Ok, if you've seen this story earlier or something, it's because somehow the layout screwed up and the beginning was at the end...and the end was at the beginning...I don't know, my computer hates me. So I fixed it, so NOW it probably makes more sense...lol...

Ok, this story will have adult situations, like sex, maybe violence, and there will be yaoi (boy x boy action). And this is just a short summary/prologue, so the actual chapters will be much longer.

Alright, I love feedback and if you're not happy with the story, that's fine, you can tell me NICELY, but apparently I have to spell these things out: PLEASE do not flame me if you do not like this pairing or the story. There is no reason to be rude just because it's yaoi or because, for some reason, you don't like my style of writing. If you flame, I'll roast marshmallows over them and make jokes. I'm very laid back, but I will not accept rudeness directed at me. So don't make me angry -.- I'll go Hulk on you.

Anyways, I'll shut up now! (Finally) Onward!

-----

"Mama..." a voice cried out, shattering the silence that had been covering the forest ever since the last of the gunshot echos.

The young blond haired boy's big red-orange fox ears were tilted down, showing deep depression. His matching tail, sparkled with very few strands of gold, swished lightly as he tried again. "Mama, where are you?"

No response, not a single time as he wandered the woods for many hours, hoping to find his mother's warm face and to qwell his shivering, fearful heart. She had gone out earlier that morning to hunt, and she told him not to come out under any circumstances...but, it had been close to dinner time, and still no sign of her. Now the poor thing stared up at the moon, shivering and hungry. He had wandered too far and he was much too young to find his way back to their den.

Exhaustion from the long search led to drowsiness, and so walking up to a slim tree, he curled beneath it, shivering. "Mama..." he whispered, something in his mind telling him that she wasn't coming back this time.

And so the young kit had cried himself to sleep, the first time he had slept alone.

-----

The boy was dreaming. He felt, so warm and secure, and he felt strange, like he was floating on air...he felt like he was curled up against his mom. And he smiled, nuzzling the softness beneath his nose. Perhaps that horrible scenario had been a dream...

But unknown to the small, still sleeping fox, he was not floating, he was actually being carried, quietly and stealthily towards an old farm house. The warmth that surrounded him was nothing but a mere blanket, slightly dirty and marred, but usable nontheless. And unfortunately, it was not his mother who carried him protectively...no, it was simply a stranger wanting to help out.

The tall man suddenly knelt down as he reached the front door, the precious bundle was set down gently, and the figure knocked heavily on the door, turning and rushing into the dark gray sky of the early morning, not wanting to be caught.

"What?" An irritated female voice said as the door pulled open and inwards. A beautiful blond lady stood in the now open doorway. She heaved in annoyance when she saw no one was there, and her large bust followed the movement. Mumbling about pranks, she went to close the door, but a whimper made her stop and glance down in alarm. Now noticing the the fox pup curled on her doorstep, wrapped snugly in a blanket. A note was taped to the blanket, and after squinting, she could make out through the scribbled letters, "this boy needs a new home."

Frowning, her eyes softened slightly, and she knelt to pick up the bundle, which was no bigger than a cat. And she brought him inside the warm cottage house, muttering a 'welcome home, I guess..' to her new companion, running fingers through his sunny blond hair.

------TBC------

R/R


	2. Enter Sasuke

So I watched Fox and the Hound to catch up on the story details. Though I'll be tweaking a lot, I got some of the storyline I want to interpet into the story. Anyways, read on!

---------

"TSUNADE-BAAAACHAN!!"

An eager voice was what broke through the quiet, Sunday morning on the farm.

Said woman groaned as a new but familiar weight settled on her. "Wake up, baachan!" the voice said again as small, chubby hands tried to shake the lump in the bed.

"Gr...brat, stop...Stop Naruto, I'm awake!" Her angry, tired voice said loudly.

The whiskered boy wasn't affected by her tone, in fact he just grinned and launched himself off the bed like the energetic fox he was. "Breakfast!" He reminded her, evading the pillow flung at him and running out so that his 'owner' could get dressed in peace.

No longer the young, tender age of three, a well sized six year old stood in Naruto's place. He still had baby fat in his cheeks, hands and feet, but his arms, legs, and neck had thinned out slightly. His body was well shaped as well, minus the slight bulge of the boy's tummy, the kind all little kids had. His eyes, ears, and tail were tad oversized, making him have an adorable chibi look. Today, his outfit consisted of knee length dark blue shorts and a red tee with a yellow swirl design. The shirt was a bit big on him, but it added to his cute innocence.

"Why are you so energetic?" A now dressed Tsunade mumbled, smiling nontheless and going to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Truth be told she was a lot more cheerful since the little kid had entered her life. She still had anger problems, though, and Naruto knew all too well to steer clear when she was pissed.

Staring happily at the plate of pancakes that was set in front of him, he instantly cut off a piece and bit into it, munching as he replied sloppily, "Kakashi shd-" he suddenly stopped at the sight of her glare, and swallowed the large bite, politely rubbing off any syrup that got onto his lips before re-speaking. "Kakashi said that I have extra hyper genes inside me."

She raised her eyebrow. "And you believe that old crow?" Not that it was much of an insult, after all, he _was_ a crow.

Naruto giggled, sipping at the last of his milk. "Kakashi-sensei isn't old! And why else am I hyper? You said so yourself."

Tsunade smirked, watching her adoptive son finish his plate and move to go put away his dishes (she had pushed proper manners on him, wanting him to be a polite young boy). "I think it's just because all kids are playful."

"Then why did you ask?" he retorted, sticking his tongue out. But before she could yell at him, the young boy spoke again, "I'm going to go play in the forest for a while!"

The old woman sighed, knowing not to try and talk the boy out of play time...which was, all the time. "Be careful, Naruto. If you need anything, I'm sure Kakashi can help you."

"See you later, baachan!" he shouted, opening the screen door and darting across the yard.

----------------

First, keep your senses sharp. Then, strike...

No wait, was it sneak up, and then strike? Or was it just pounce?

Sasuke sighed irritably, sitting back on his knees and staring irritably up at the sky as if it were mocking him.

An older looking version of him glanced over, smirking. "Already forgot the rules, outoto?"

"No!" Determined not to look like a fool, the young hound dog perked his ears up, trying to find a noise. Maybe another rabbit he could chase around the yard...or a squirrel-

He yelped as a foot trapped his tail. "Nii-san, what was that for?!" he demanded. Not that it hurt, but it sure as hell scared him.

The elder sighed, reaching down to ruffle dark blue hair. "If you can't stay alert and focused, you'll never become a good hunter. Remember that, and maybe you won't get trapped next time." He walked off, leaving the hunter-in-training to his thoughts.

The six year old sighed, pouting. He had tried his best, really, but it was hard keeping up with all of this. Ah well, he just needed experience, that's all!

A sudden whiff blew by, and he caught it on the wind. His mouth almost watered, as he recognized the scent of something alive...but it wasn't squirrel, or rabbit, or raccoon or anything he ever smelled before! But what really had made his mouth water up was the fact it smelled so good, like cinnamon and oranges. Ah well, no time to be thinking of food, here was his chance to practice!

So, tail wagging eagerly at the thought of finally catching something, he ran off into the woods, ears perked up so he could hear better. Following the scent, he dove deeper into the woods that he seldom wandered in. His master never let him play, and he had no friends, so the only reason he would of wandered in was to chase down game.

Stopping as he noticed the scent was very close, he turned onto alert mode. Carefully and silently slipping through trees and brush, he strained his eyes to see past the thick undergrowth. But he froze as he heard feet shuffle from behind the hedge currently blocking his path, and the scent he had been following was as strong as ever. Licking his lips, the boy crouched low, mentally preparing himself to strike. _'I got you now..'_

NOW!

Suddenly leaping off, he hit his prey, which uttered a surprised noise. Tumbling around on the ground for a few seconds of blind confusion, Sasuke pinned his prey down by the shoulders-

Wait, by the shoulders?

Suddenly frowning, he lifted himself off enough to get a good look at what he tackled. But he wasn't prepared for what he was about to see.

The boy had two deep pools of sky and water, glimmering and staring back at him with a confused, anxious look. His skin was so much darker and tan than his own...he never saw such exotic looking skin...or, sun kissed blond hair. In fact, he never saw any one other than his brother and master...who were pale and dark haired like him.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed whiskered marks on the boys plump cheeks, with...two ears perched on top of his head. How strange...they looked almost like dog ears, but they were bigger, fluffier, and pointier, without flopping over like his own did. And the boy's tail was so fluffy and thick. And the fur he had was a burnt orange color, with flecks of gold.

Simply put, this boy was beautiful.

Speaking of which, the tanned boy suddenly squeaked, asking warily, "Wh...why did you jump on me? That wasn't nice."

Suddenly realizing he was still straddling the boy's lap, the Uchiha quickly crawled off, blushing. "I'm sorry," he tried, bowing his head slightly, "I was practicing my hunting and I thought you were a rabbit or something..."

The boy tilted his head. "Hunting...?" he tried the foreign word. "Is that like a game or something?"

Sasuke blinked. "No...well, kinda, I guess...I have to chase down animals and stuff..."

The blond suddenly nodded eagerly. "Ah! You mean like tag and seek!"

"...Tag and seek...?"

Another eager nod. "My teacher plays it with me all the time. He runs off and I chase him down, or I run off and he finds me! If we catch the other, we win!" He suddenly beamed. "Hey, you wanna play with me?"

Taken back, he found himself drawn into those big, beautiful eyes again. "Uh...well, I shouldn't, my master says that I shouldn't waste my time with child games.."

An evil grin. "Well my mom thinks I should be more serious too, but that doesn't stop me!" Clawed hands lightly pulled at his arm. "Come on, please?! Just a few times! You can be the chaser if you want!!"

Sasuke pondered it for a second. Oh, why not. "Okay, I'll play. But first, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

Hesitation. "Well what's your name and...are you a dog or something?"

The boy giggled. "No silly, I'm a fox! I guess we're kinda related to dogs...but not really...but, anyways, I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" A chubby hand reahed oout to him. "What's your name, dog?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," the other offered, shaking now known as Naruto's hand. "But don't call me a dog, stupid."

"But you are a dog! And I'm not stupid!!" Naruto pouted.

"Whatever. Let's play. You hide, and I'll find you."

The whiskered boy nodded eagerly. "Alright! Close your eyes, count to one hundred and then come find me if you can! I shall hide in a great place, Sasuke will never find me!" He gloated as he ran off.

And Sasuke smiled, closing his eyes and slowly staring to count in his head.

----------------

"Found you."

Naruto pouted from his spot in the hollowed out tree. "Ah, you cheater! How are you so good, anyways?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, helping the other out of the tree. "I use my nose, stupid."

Pouting but deciding to ignore that, he frowned as he saw how dark the sky was getting. "Uh oh. It's getting late." He turned and smiled. "Do you wanna meet up tommorrow?!"

Sasuke brushed off his white pants and dark blue shirt and nodded, another blush creeping onto his cheeks, because he really did want to see the other as soon as possible. In fact, a selfish part of his mind didn't want the blond to leave. "Does...this mean we're friends...?"

"Well duh. And you call me stupid." He giggled at the dirty look shot back at him. "I'm kidding...bye Sasuke!" he suddenly waved, bounding off into the forest. The other waved back hesitantly, before letting the pale hand drop back to his side. He grinned, turning and making his way back home, using Itachi's scent of metal and rain to guide him there.

_Naruto...you are my first friend..._

------TBC------

Aww, so adorable Shounen ai coming up soon, though the heavy stuff will be later, when they are older. As much as I love shouta (I admit) I wouldn't dare put it in such a cute fluffy story like this. I've gotta keep some morale, right?

R/R!


	3. Friends Forevor?

A little shorter than normal. Don't be too upset though! Read on.

---------

Itachi frowned. Something was...off with his younger brother.

Not only did he seem to be practicing perfectly for once, sometimes he'd stop and get a small smile on his face. What happened that caused this sudden change? Perhaps it was that chase he made yesterday...after all, the boy had come back covered in an animal's scent. Though there was no scent of blood to accompany it. Maybe Sasuke had just been practicing on it? Itachi sighed, knowing full well how innocent and kind his brother was. After all, even when he practiced around here, the few times he'd actually catch something he let it go.

Well, whatever Sasuke was happy about, Itachi would have to wait and see. But until then...

"Sasuke."

The younger glanced over at him. "Yes, nii-san?"

Itachi frowned, then continued. "Make sure you don't wander off again. Master found out yesterday, but he let it go once. If you do it again, you'll only get yourself into trouble."

Sasuke frowned, then gave a nod. "I understand." He stayed quiet as his brother sauntered off to another part of their huge land complex. Sasuke waited, then turned, sauntering off into the woods. _I understand, but that won't keep me away from the only friend I've ever had._

Once again, he used his keen nose to search out Naruto. He was surprised when his search not led him to inside the woods somewhere, but to a farmhouse that wasn't too far away from his own property.

Tilting his head and glancing around, he spotted the blond over in a shed. Smiling, he walked over to where his friend was eagerly working on something.

"What are you looking for?"

Naruto jumped a bit at the voice, then relaxed when he saw who it was. "Oh, Sasuke. I was just trying to untangle these fishing poles."

"Fishing poles? What are those?"

The blond finally got the wires untangled, and he turned to gape. "You've never gone fishing?!" Though he settled down at the look of crestfallen embarrassment on the raven's face. "Er, sorry. I mean, hey I'll teach you, it's easy!"

Sasuke lifted his head up, smiling a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah! Here, take yours..." He handed one of the fishing poles over, and picked up a small tool box. Grinning, he ran off. "Come on, race you!"

They both shouted and laughed as they raced off into the woods. Little did they know that someone had been watching from the window, with a frown on their face.

-----------

"Ok, now take the worm and put it on the hook like this," Naruto demonstrated, watching as Sasuke gingerly and carefully copied his movements. "Yeah, and then all you have to do is swing the pole back like this," he showed him reeling it back, "and fling it foreward so that the line can go really far!" He watched as his landed a few feet away, then smiled as Sasuke's landed a couple inches behind his own. "Now if you feel something tug at your pole, it means you caught a fish. So use the crank to pull it back, ok?"

"Ok...so, when do the fish bite?"

"When they feel like it, so put it into the hole so the fish won't drag your pole away, and relax," the tanned boy said, leaning back and letting the sun kiss at his face. He loved being outside, it was so relaxing.

Sasuke propped his pole up, then turned to stare at his friend, who had a peaceful look on his face. "Naruto...?"

"Yes?"

The hound glanced down at his lap. "Um...well...will we be friends forever?"

Naruto glanced over and smiled warm heartedly, making Sasuke's breath catch in his throat. And the fox rolled closer and lay his head in the other's warm lap, nuzzling his leg. "Of course."

He felt his heart lift a bit, but doubt still made it's way into his heart. "Really..?"

Naruto nodded, smiling brightly. "Yes! In fact, it is a promise, and the best kind of promise is a pinky promise!" A small pinky finger was held in the air. "Now give me your pinkie."

Sasuke complied, a bit perplexed, but smiled when the digit closed around his and their hands shook in silent agreement. "Ok, then..."

---------

"Bye, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, waving at the boy as he dissapeared among the hedges. The Uchiha had been so kind as to walk him home, wanting a few more extra minutes with his fox.

"Tsunade! I'm home!" The blond yelled eagerly, entering the house and smiling. But he suddenly sombered up at the sight of his mom, sitting on the couch with a worried look on her face. "Baachan? Is something wrong?"

Tsunade blinked, then glanced over at the young one, smiling gently. "No, Naruto. I'm just thinking, is all."

"About what?" He had to be curious, didn't he?

"Oh...some birds got into my laundry today and ripped my favorite shirt."

Naruto frowned, getting onto the couch and snuggling up into the old lady's warm body. "That's not very nice," he mumbled, yawning contently as hands brushed their way into his hair.

Tsunade smiled wider as her over-energetic fox fell asleep. He may of been very playful, but he was always tired by the end of the day...which reminded her of seeing her little one playing with the Uchiha boy from down the road.

_I'll have to have a chat with Kakashi, and tell him to keep an eye on him... _Tsunade sighed, worry seeping in again. _I have no doubt in my mind that my neighbor can taint any one of those pets of his..._

------TBC------

The bird/laundry thing is directly from Fox and Hound. I thought it'd be cute to add that as a minor event

R/R!


	4. A Long Trip

I drew a pic of FoxyNaru and HoundogSasu! Here (you have to remove the spaces): http://ashersthedragon. deviantart. com/ art/ sasunaru-Fox-and-Hound-64513725

Sorry it took so long to update. But, look, it's really long!!! Enjoy!

---------

Naruto frowned, staring blankly at a tree in front of him. Swishing his tail idly, he tried not to feel nervous or rejected. Why was he like this? Because it had been a long time since he arrived at the pond, where Sasuke was supposed to meet him today. And so far, his friend was no where to be seen. 

_'Did he...forget about me...?'_

As quickly as the brief thought came, Naruto shook his head, ashamed for thinking like that. Sasuke was so eager to be his best friend, why would he suddenly forget about him?! It was a ridiculous thing to think of. No, something must be wrong. Perhaps he was sick? Or injured? The whiskered boy stood up, brushing off the back of his pants. Well, he'd just have to find the raven and see why he was missing. 

Good thing yesterday the Uchiha had been teaching him how to use his nose 'properly', or else he'd have no clue on how to search. While he wasn't that good at it, after a few sniffs he could pick up the slightest hint of rain and jasmine that was left behind. Sasuke's scent. And so, following it ever so slowly, in case he accidentally messed up or went the wrong way, he followed the path that the other took everyday to get home.

Even though he forced himself to stay positive, there still was that nagging worry in the back of his head...

--------

Sasuke curled up on the grass, sitting indian style and crossing his arms in a definite pout. A collar, glowing with dull blue chakra, was attached to his neck. A matching chain kept him where he was, unable to move around that much. As much as he minded the...'family' he had, there had never been any other time where he was more angry at his caretaker.

_"Sasuke."_

_The young hound glanced up from where he was staring at. "Yes...Oorochimaru-sama?"_

_The almost white snake looking man frowned, tilting his head. "I warned you the other day about going off into the woods."_

_"Hai, master."_

_"And what did you do yesterday?"_

_Sasuke did not like the tone that the older man was using on him...as if scorning a young child who was ignorant and stupid. "I went into the woods, master."_

_The man let out a 'tsk', opening the metal collar he had been holding during their conversation. "I suppose some dogs have to learn the hard way, ne?"_

Rubbing irritably at the collar that chaffed his neck, he glared at his sleeping brother, curled up underneath a sakura tree. Though he had warned him, all he did was sit there and smirk knowingly while the man humiliated him with such a device. 

Maybe he should pour a bucket of water on him or something...

"Pst.."

Sasuke frowned at the tiny noise, tilting his head towards the bush it came from, startled to see two gleaming blue eyes peering out at him. "What the.."

"Hey, Sasuke, it's me." Naruto said quietly, eyeing the older male not too far away from them both.

Recognizing his obnoxious voice, the raven's heart jumped a little, and he couldn't help but smile for a split second. "Idiot, what are you doing here?"

Poking his head out and glancing around, the young fox quietly walked over, looking ashamed and bashful. "I just wanted to know if you were all right, that's all." Turning his attention to the collar, he almost gasped, but turned it into a quiet intake of breath. "They're chaining you up?"

"...Yeah," after a moments hesitation, "I'm not allowed to go wander off into the woods anymore. It's no fun..."

The blond tilted his head, pouting slightly. "Meanies...well, if you can't come to me, then I'll just come to you!"

Though Sasuke knew that probably wasn't a wise idea, the selfish part of his mind jumped at the thought that Naruto would actually take his time to come visit. Then the reasonable side took over. "It's not like I don't want you to...it's just that, I really don't want you to get in trouble."

Ignoring the statement, curious blue eyes shifted over to the sleeping figure. "So who's he?"

Sasuke frowned, glancing at what held Naruto's attention. "That's my brother, Itachi."

Bravely, yet stealthily walking over to the unmoving figure, the blond peered into his face, ignoring Sasuke's look of horror. "He looks just like you!"

"Naruto!!" Sasuke tried to quietly hiss, "Get away from him!"

Said fox cast a look over his shoulder. "Why? He's sleeping."

Sasuke tried to grab the boy's sleeve and drag him away, but the chain only let him go so far. "Moron, just get over here where it's safe."

The other snorted quietly, turning to analyze the elder Uchiha again. "What are you talking about, it's perfectly-" Red eyes were now peering at him. Yelping, the surprised Naruto fell back, staring owlishly up at the figure peering angrily down at him. "...U..uh..."

Then, a low growl escaped, and suddenly he came face to face with sharp poised claws.

Barely having any time to react, the fox cried out as he stumbled back too late, one of the claws creating a small gash on his nose. Shivering, the blond pulled himself up and watched the other warily as the figure stood up.

"Naruto, don't stand there, run!" Sasuke's voice called to him.

And at the sound of another deep throaty growl, Naruto did run. He turned and suddenly started sprinting in the direction he came from. Though he was off their land now, he didn't stop his fast pace. But now that he got off the property, the other wouldn't chase him down...right?

Or so he thought, as he heard heavy running footsteps, and the sound of his friend screaming, "LEAVE HIM ALONE, ITACHI!"

Fear crawled into the young boy's heart. And he ran as fast as he could, dreading as the brother continued his quick pursuit.

Though Itachi was well trained and had excellent skills, as a fox Naruto would always be naturally more cunning and maneuverable. And instincts kicked in as suddenly Naruto leapt at a tree branch and continued to do so in a zig zag pattern, not only getting closer to the farm but gaining altitude up from the hound so hell bent on catching him.

Though he'd only been running fourteen minutes now, the heavy exert on his young body was starting to take effect. It was a good thing that the house was coming up, or he might not of made it.

Revlieved that the sounds of his pursuer ceased slowly, he ran and ran until he reached front door, where he pulled it open and quickly slammed it behind him, ignoring Tsunade's angry and surprised shout as he locked the door.

"Naruto, what-" she stopped as she noted the sweaty, terror stricken and shivering pup, bleeding quite well on the nose. Calming down not to rouse him any further she walked over and hugged the boy gently, rubbing his hair as she felt tears and blood hit her old cotton shirt.

--------

"That hurts, baa-chan!" Naruto whined as she rubbed disinfectant into the cut on his nose. She replied with an, "Oh, suck it up," and slapped a band-aid on as the final touch.

Now settled down, the young boy was curled up in his mother's lap, clutching a cup of hot cocoa and snuggling softly into her side, quietly retelling her the incident at the Uchihas.

After a couple of minutes, Tsunade finally spoke. "Naruto...I don't want you visiting that boy anymore."

Naruto frowned, obviously not happy. "But mama, he's my friend...and he did nothing wrong..."

"I know...but, you have to understand that...well, don't worry about it tonight. You'll learn about it soon enough. For now, get some rest."

Naruto nodded, feeling tired from his 'adventure'. So, he decided not to argue as she lifted him up and carried him into his room, placing him into bed.

He could ask her tomorrow, anyways.

--------

Naruto was fed up.

It had been a week since he last saw his friend. Like it or not, Naruto was going to go see him.

Though the boy seemed a bit naive at the time, he wasn't stupid. And in his free time he had come up with ways to outfox that older brother of Sasuke's...

And he decided today was the perfect day. Why? Because the wind was blowing Southward, and the Uchiha complex was North from his own. There was no way that any of them could pick up his scent. But that also meant Sasuke couldn't, as well.

But Naruto hadn't been planning on talking to Sasuke. He simply just...wanted to see how the other was doing.

And so he was greatly surprised when he poked his head out from behind the tree to find a strange sight. Sasuke, Itachi, and a man he could only guess was their master, were packing things up into an old pick-up truck. And by the looks of things they were going away for a long time. How long, though?

"What are you doing, Naruto?" A quiet voice came from behind him.

Jumping and turning around, he came face to face with his silver haired mask wearing teacher.

"Kakashi-sensei?...I was just seeing how Sasuke was doing...he's going on a trip."

"I can see that." The old crow observed the scene carefully.

"Why are they taking so many guns?" Naruto never seen so many. Tsunade only had one, and that was for emergancy protection. But she had shown it to him, in case he needed it for some reason.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, they are going on a hunting trip. And once they'll be back, Sasuke will be nothing but an exact copy of his brother. In fact, he may even hunt you."

Naruto stared unbelievingly at his sensei. "Sasuke? Hunt me? He'd never, we're friends!"

The masked man just sighed, idly scratching one of his feathery ears. "Well, he'll definitely be a trained hunter. And hutning isn't a game, Naruto. If you're hunted, you'll end up killed."

Naruto gulped, surprised but not doubting his teacher on the subject of hunting.

The roar of the engine caught their attention again. Itachi and the snake man were sitting in the car, while Sasuke was in the bed of the truck, resting his head on his arms, which were supported by the back of the truck. As the car slowly started up, Naruto took the chance, seeing as Sasuke would be the only one to see him, to pop his head out and give a small wave goodbye.

The wave caught the raven's attention, ears perking up from their slumped position. After a brief second, the Uchiha smiled at him, wiggling his fingers goodbye as the car drove off down the road, disappearing from sight.

As Naruto stared at where Sasuke once had been, he wondered when they'd be back. And he also wondered if Sasuke was really going to be a cold blooded killer...

And he also wondered why Sasuke's smile was so sad and heartbroken.

----TBC----

Aaah, I finally added some Kakashi!!! Yay! Ooo, things are getting good!!! R/R!!!


	5. I'm Back

Sorry it's so late!!!

---------

Naruto usually found himself visiting the Uchiha complex every week, just to see if the hound had returned from his trip. But he always ended up disappointed, because there were no signs of life at the elegant temple.

Weeks turned to months, and after a while Naruto decided that Sasuke just wasn't coming back. The day he realized this, he had sat down and cried his heart out, wanting his friend to return.

But, sadly enough, he didn't return. And Naruto decided not to think about it, or else it would just hurt him emotionally. So he spent his days with Kakashi, training and sharpening his mind. Though the old crow was sometimes lazy, he surprisingly was a good teacher, especially for a fox.

Though the boy still held his childish look, at the age of 10 he certainly had a growth spurt. And he lost even more of his baby fat, creating a thin, lanky figure. Surprisingly his hair grew the most. In fact, at the moment it was almost shoulder length. Tsunade kept bothering him about cutting it, but he kinda enjoyed it long. It gave him a feral, yet elegant look.

He sighed, staring at his half inch long claws. He often found himself daydreaming. If he had grown so much, how much had the hound grown? Was he taller than him? Shorter? Longer hair like his brothers? It was hard to picture, since all he could think of was the young, chubby and mild version of him.

"Sulking won't do you any good."

Naruto jumped at the voice. "Ah, Kakashi!" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't sense you there."

The silver haired crow merely smiled, twitching a feathery ear. "Well, I doubt you could sense anything, with all that daydreaming."

The boy's tan cheeks flushed heavily. "I...I wasn't daydreaming." Pouting, he tried to change the subject. "What are we doing today, sensei?"

"**_You,_**" he corrected with a grin (Naruto couldn't see because of the face mask, but he always knew anyway), "are going to go meditate."

"Eh?! Meditate again?!"

"Yes," The other said casually. "It will help your focus. So, try not to let your mind wander off too much. Spend at least two hours meditating, then you can go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto merely grumbled, trotting off towards his secret spot. Kakashi smiled, thinking, 'you are so full of surprises, Naruto. Though I always knew there was something different about you.'

And so that's how the fox found himself sitting in nothing but a towel, water cascading onto his shoulders as he stared with a relaxed look on his face. It was hard to find himself not thinking about anything, but once he got into it, all he really had to do was enjoy the scenery. It was quite a beautiful spot, after all. He found it while exploring one day, and it was his favorite place to hang out.

The water was so relaxing, and it seemed to melt away all his nostalgic sorrows. As much as he'd rather be actually training, this was nice too. Perhaps it was good to have days to 'relax'.

Perhaps this meditation thing was paying off. Suddenly his ears perked at the sound of rustling in a bush. Tensing up, he wondered vaguely if it was an animal, or it was someone paying him a visit...

Suddenly, a red toad jumped from the bushes and scurried next to him on the rock. It peered up expectantly at him, as if analyzing judgmentally.

Naruto merely grumbled. The toad lived in this lake, and naturally he saw him here every time. So, he adopted him as a pet and had been so kind to name him 'Boss Toad', since the toad always stared at him as if giving him orders. "Are you the one disturbing my peace, Boss Toad?"

The little amphibian just croaked, hopping onto the young fox's knee and sitting comfortably.

Naruto merely silenced himself, shifting ever so slightly as his leg grew tense with numbness. He had supposed to be freeing his thoughts, not debating with a frog.

_'Some things never change..'_ he told himself, his last thought as he let his mind go blank.

--------

Naruto sometimes went into such deep meditation, he'd actually fall asleep. And so when he cracked his eyes slightly and saw an orange sky, he cursed himself for dozing off.

But then he froze, as he realized that someone was...petting his hair?

He frowned, taking a second to wake up and see if maybe he was just delirious. no, someone was definitely running fingers through his hair, making him softly purr at the feel. Opening his eyes more, he glanced over tat the figure sitting leisurely next to him.

"Hello Naruto." Sasuke said, still petting the fox.

At first the blond couldn't register the sight before him. Then suddenly, snapping from the trance, he turned his body towards his friend, eyes widening with surprise, happiness and longing. "S...Sasuke...? Is that you?"

The raven smirked, but even with the dimmer light his eyes could be clearly seen swimming with happiness. "Of course, stupid."

Naruto sat up, now fully awake and realizing all he had on was his towel. Blushing slightly, his mind was still trying to cope with the fact that the Uchiha had returned from his trip. "What are you doing here so late?"

The fingers stopped running themselves through, and instead, almost shyfully, tugged on a lock of hair. "I...came back about an hour ago. I just...wanted to see you," The other admitted softly, staring into those deep blue eyes he missed so much. It was a wonderful mood...

...Only to be broken as Naruto suddenly pinched his own arm and let out a yelp.

Confused at the action, the hound warily asked, "What...are you doing?"

The young fox winced, but smiled afterwards. "Checking to see if this was a dream..." he said with awe. Not caring if he was barely clothed or not, the fox launched himself at the other and hugged him tightly, almost never wanting to let go as pale arms wrapped around his back.

Yes, it had been a good day, after all.

----TBC----

Aaah, I finally added some Kakashi!!! Yay! Ooo, things are getting good!!! R/R!!!


	6. I Like, er, Love You?

Umm...it's late at night, and I need sleep. So sorry if there's typos. I will try and fix later!!!

---------

Naruto smiled mischeviously as he fought the river's current, swimming upstream for a few minutes. Sure, he may of been naive last time he played this game, but he was determined to win this time!

_After all, you lose your scent in the river_, he thought as he climbed on the opposite side of the riverbank. Taking off into a sprint, he thought of other ways to outwit the hound's sharp nose.

After leaping across trees, making multiple dead ends by backtracking, and rolling around in some flowers in an attempt to mask his scent even more, he searched out a hollow tree, climbing in and giggling quietly behind his hand, eager to see if his hours of mind training with his crow of a sensei payed off.

Speaking of the raven, Sasuke had finally finished counting down from five hundred and was now hopping along tree to tree, taking in the scent of his younger friend.

Honestly, when he had first seen the blond yesterday sleeping against the tree, looking peaceful and happy with the world, the Uchiha wanted nothing more than to run over and crush the boy to death, crying his eyes out. But, he was disciplined now, and would find it shameful to amount to such emotion. Or, that's what Oorichimaru says.

That year long vacation turned his life around. Not only did he train and hone his senses along with his body, he also learned about growing up and abandoning his naive ways, now a respectable, and deadly accurate hunting dog.

Back to his purpose, the pale boy found himself standing at a riverbank, the scent of Naruto only lingering very slightly in the wind, so much it was untracable. Honestly stumped from the now clever fox, Sasuke frowned and glanced up and down the riverbank, trying to unravel this trial. _Remember your training, Sasuke...remember...He'd expect me to guess that he swam downstream with the current, so my best guess is that he swam upstream._

Nodding, he dove into the water, swimming without hardship or hesitation across the lazy, nonthreatening river. Shaking himself dry, he followed a path along the river, slowly picking up Naruto's scent.

_Got you again._

Following the scent, he quickened his pace through the clusters of trees, smirking as it weaved in and out. Doing jumbled movements like that wouldn't get the blond anywhere.

But then the scent stopped, as if the boy vanished from midair.

And Sasuke was not fooled. He had hunted plenty of raccoons to know about backtracking. Slowly trailing back, he made sure his nose found the right path before picking up normal pace.

And the scent led him to a grove of trees, where it suddenly thinned out. But there was no doubt Naruto was here somewhere. Glancing around carefully, his eyes spotted the only rotted out tree in that area. So quietly climbing without the slightest noise, the hound waited for a second, before pulling himself up and peeking his head into the hole at the top. "Found-"

Only awaiting an empty log.

Sasuke was rightly confused. Surely there wasn't another enterance was there? Perhaps he-

His train of thought was cut off when something hugged him from behind. "AH, this time I caught YOU!!" A voice yelled.

Sasuke merely smiled, chuckling and shaking his head. "Stupid, you aren't supposed to reveal yourself until I give up or find you."

He turned around and watched amusedly as Naruto merely shrugged. "Well, I got bored waiting."

"Ah." Sitting himself down on the branch, he gazed curiously off into the woods. "So..."

Naruto followed suit, enjoying the crisp wind on his face as he listened to what Sasuke was trying to get out. "So...what?"

"Well..." Slight hesitation. "How have things been? Since I...left, I mean."

"Oh...well," Naruto tilted his head, pondering this for a minute. "I spent most of my tree time training with Kakashi-sensei..."

"The old crow you told me about? I'd like to meet him, at least once."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind..." Naruto frowned. "But anyway, I learned a lot from him, he's very wise."

"I would say so. You are getting better at this game." Sasuke smiled earnestly.

"Thanks..." Eyes glanced up at the sky. "Hey...actually, I'm supposed to go meet Kakashi right now. Wanna come?"

------

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The silver haired man eyed the two boys in front of him. "Naruto, you're late.."

"But sensei," he had complained, "I thought you said late was my 'on time'?"

"I meant later then that." His visible eye turned upwards in a smile. "And who is this young man?"

Naruto chided himself for forgetting. "Ah, Kakashi-sensei, this is Sasuke, my best friend...and Sasuke, this is Kakashi, my mentor."

The raven haired man bowed in respect. "I am humbled to meet you, sir. Naruto has told me great things about you."

The crow's hidden smile could only get bigger. "And Naruto has told me great things about you, as well."

Naruto blushed slightly, wanting to change the subject. "So, sensei...what am I doing today?"

Kakashi tilted his head back. "Well...I say, go meditating."

"Again..? That's three times in a row."

"Ah, but you don't get skill without experience. Now hop to it, you could always use more brainpower anyway."

Naruto grumbled as he walked towards the waterfall, while Sasuke sniggered silently at the comment, following the fox.

At the waterfall, the two boys stripped themselves down and rested in the warm waters, relaxing. Sasuke never really had breaks, so he was cherishing this moment as much as he could.

"So, Naruto..." the hound started to tease, "What did you tell Kakashi about me?"

The other grumbled, blushing slightly and closing his eyes. "I just told him that you were my best friend, is all. He made it seem overdramatic."

"Ah, I see..." The raven sat silently for a moment. "Naruto...?"

"Hm?"

"Well...er, have you ever been in...love?"

The blonde's brow furrowed at the sudden change in topic. "Love? Well...mom says you share it with a special person, but I've never met anyone like that...except for you," Naruto added as an afterthought, smiling brightly.

"I see...does that mean you...love me?"

"...I suppose so...why?" Naruto cracked one eye open, suddenly seeing the fact that Sasuke had scooted closer to him.

"Because...well, er..." Sasuke was so nervous, he never had to deal with this kind of emotion before. "I love you too."

Naruto smiled. "Well...thanks Sasuke."

"No..I mean, I don't think you understand..." _This is too hard to get out...oh blast, let me just show him._

Before Naruto could question his friend's motives, he suddenly found to soft lips pressing against his own.

----TBC----

Mmm, the truth comes out! Sorta...R/R! Lemon next chapter! Probably...


	7. Disaster Strikes

A warning! This chapter has minors (age 10) having sexual relations. Don't like it? Don't read! Besides, they have mental capacities of...er...I don't know, 15 year olds or so.

Ah, and for the record, since I believe animals breed when they're pretty young anyways, there's really no such thing as puberty for Naruto and Sasuke...in a sexual sense, I mean. So no dry orgasms or anything like that. ; Read on!

---------

Naruto's questions died in his throat as those delectable lips of his friend suddenly pushed up against his more roughly, now getting over the initial shyness. His brain couldn't really comprehend what was going on here. Though all he knew was, this did feel pretty good, and it was something he never felt before...

But the fact that his best friend was the one doing it caused him to break away for a minute, trying to re-catch his breath from the intense kiss. Who knew Sasuke could be so aggressive? (A/N:...-raises hand- xD)

"Wait, S-Sasuke," he stuttered out, backing away as much as he could since the Uchiha was so desperate on getting even closer. "Do you realize what you're doing?"

"I'm kissing you," he stated, as if talking about the weather.

"I...think you're just a bit overwhelmed about not seeing me for so long. We shouldn't-" Naruto was moving to scramble out of the water, but a pale hand caught his wrist.

"Please, Naruto..." The desperate tone in his friend's voice made him reluctantly glance back. "I really do love you. Ever since I met you...I've felt something for you, but it wasn't until my trip that I realized exactly what it was.."

Now Naruto was slightly curious. "Your trip?"

The raven nodded, slowly coaxing the other back into the water. "I couldn't stop thinking about you...and so I asked my brother about it, and he said that it was love...so, I'm not just over excited or anything like that..." those midnight black eyes glanced at him. "You believe me, right..?"

Part of the blonde's head still didn't like the idea, but Naruto knew that somewhere inside, he felt the same way too. "...Yeah, I believe you."

Sasuke smiled, scooting closer and bending down to nuzzle the young boy's neck gently, earning a soft purr from the back of his throat. Pleased by the sound, his tongue moved out to lick and trace the soft, tanned skin, moving to suckle at the developing Adam's apple. Naruto moaned at the feeling.

The raven felt something stirring in his stomach, and he felt like he should do something about it..but.."Honestly Naruto," he mumbled quietly against the boy's skin, "I'm not sure what happens next."

Fortunately, Naruto held a blush and muttered an answer, "Well, I know what to do..."

"You do?"

The blond nodded. "Kakashi-sensei has this little habit of reading...adult books." If his blush could get any darker, it just did. "I got curious one day and read one..."

"Ah...well then, you should probably...take the lead."

"You sure?"

The other didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

Naruto nodded, leaning over to lick at the boy's cheek, then move over to those plushed lips. As they shared a gentle kissed, Naruto's hands gently explored the boy's pale figure, rubbing at his chest and stomach, causing shudders to erupt.

"Ngh.." The Uchiha found himself grunting as the hand slowly wrapped around his hardening member. And the other hand was...

"This might hurt," Naruto warned quietly, pressing his index finger against the other's puckered opening. Circling it for a minute, he let the other get used to where this was going before slipping the digit in.

Though it was a strange feeling, Sasuke found little pain in the movement, maybe even enjoyable along with the hand teasing his cock. But as a second finger wriggled its way in, a burning sensation crept forward.

Naruto, seeing that a few tears prickled at his friend's eyes, used his tongue to lap at whatever fell down his cheeks, stretching gently and carefully. After believing it was good enough, he slowly pulled his fingers out, earning a whine. Figuring it was best to to it in the position they were in now, he murmured, "get on my lap, facing me."

Sasuke blushed, but nodded, allowing himself to place his legs on each side of the fox's body. He shivered as a hand gripped at his hip, coaxing him down to align with the boy's well sized member. As he felt his muscles push open at the intrusion, he suddenly realized that Naruto was _much_ bigger than two fingers. The pain caused him to whine.

Naruto murred against a fuzzy black ear, trying to soothe him as his arms wrapped around the boy's hips and he sheathed himself fully inside. God, it felt so good, all of those muscles squeezing and pulling on him..."Mmm, you're so tight, Sasuke.." he said softly, lifting the hound up before pulling him back down again. Soon, Sasuke caught on and bounced on Naruto's lap, doing most of the thrusting. As for Sasuke, he couldn't believe the feeling of having something inside him. It was like he was...whole, now, a complete being.

Since this was a new experience for both of them, it didn't take them long before the pressure grew too much. "Ah, Naruto.." Sasuke moaned out, clutching the boy's shoulder's and groaning once more as he came hard into his friend's hand, though the water carried it off. Naruto came soon after, crying out the other's name as he finished.

They both panted, Sasuke leaning up against the tan chest to rest, while Naruto's arms were still loosely wrapped around his friend's midsection. They closed their eyes, just resting for a while,and letting their content silence speak for itself.

------

The sounds of wood being cut away.

Naruto hummed to himself, carving at a wooden figure he held in his hand. Though he lacked artistic skills, he thought it was a rather good rendition of a bird. It was something to pass the time, as he waited for his friend to come along.

Though, he wasn't sure if they were just friends anymore.

He had doubts in the beginning, but it turned out to be the best thing they did together, and so he didn't regret it. And he could tell Sasuke didn't regret their joining either, not with the way he visited with every single opportunity and the few kisses they shared every now and then.

Perhaps then, would they be mates? Naruto blushed at the thought. Sure, Sasuke was handsome, and truthfully a great potential life partner...but that was just it. If they did become mates, they'd be together for life. Was Sasuke even looking for that kind of relationship? Was he himself even ready to make such a commitment?

Oh well, he could think about that later. After all, even if they didn't see each other all the time, they certainly had all the time in the world. They were young, and still had a lot of growing up to do.

_Still..._Naruto blushed as he remembered the feel of their lips together, _it's definitely something I want to consider for the future._

He stopped for a moment to survey his handiwork. Smiling at the crude stork with pride, he glanced over at the pocketknife Tsunade had given him. It gleamed brightly and proudly in the sunlight...

Although it had many other uses, as he stared at the blade and saw a blurry figure approach him, which he could barely make the identity of. Sasuke...?

Having barely any time to react, his instincts kicked in and the fox shot out of the way as a clawed hand came down, smashing the log he was sitting on in two. His heart thundered at the knowledge that very well could of been his skull split in two.Whirling around, he glared at the intruder, ready to berate his friend for the strange attack.

But his company was none other than Itachi Uchiha.

"You.." he growled, fur on his tail standing up as he backed away slowly. "What do you want?"

The other's red eyes peered down at him, his face stony and unreadable. "It has come to my attention that you and my brother have become...good friends. My master will not let any of his hunters be distracted by emotions created by a fox-whelp, and neither will I.." Itachi pulled his lips back in a sneer. "Which is why I must kill you."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he stepped back, sensing deep fear. Sure, the elder hound had chased him down before, but that was mostly to get him off the property. No, this time, if he ran to Tsunade's, the Uchiha would not stop.

Knowing this, he knew it'd be pointless to get Tsunade into this...she might get hurt. So, he twisted around and ran off into the woods, fright pushing him forward as a deep bay from the hound signaled it was time for the hunt.

-----

"Why did you disobey me, Sasuke?"

The raven said nothing, only staring down at the floor in anger, but mostly silent disobedience. Blood tricked down his lip from where his master had struck him.

A rough hand smacked him roughly across the face, causing him to sprawl to the floor in a heap. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds as the hound pulled himself to his knees. "I told you not to leave the premises anymore. And now I find you lusting after some runty fox in the woods."

Those words caused him to jerk his head up and meet the other man's gaze. "How do you...?"

The snake man sneered, walking closer and shaking his head. "Itachi could smell it on you, of course. Don't play dumb." The man's cruel smirk appeared again. "What were you going to do, Sasuke? Run off and live happily ever after with your bitch?"

"Don't call him that!" Sasuke immediately regretted mouthing off as this time he wasn't slapped, it was a full fist blow to the face. He coughed on the blood, spitting it out onto the floor to keep himself from choking.

"Poor Sasuke.." Oorichimaru taunted, circling around the wounded hound. "Letting yourself get blinded by petty emotions...but don't worry. Soon, those fruits of desire won't taunt you anymore."

Though weary of getting struck again, he had to ask, "What do you mean..?"

The only thing his master did was smirk. "I believe that your brother is out there right now, probably skinning your little friend alive."

A cold, dark sense of fear crawled into Sasuke's stomach, and not caring of what would happen to him later, he pulled himself up and ran out of the temple to go try and stop this.

------

_Shit..._Naruto thought, desperately clawing at the rock face, hearing his pursuer gaining. He had run out of woods and found himself in a trench of rocks, with nowhere to go but up. He had never climbed on such unstable grounds before, making the task difficult, and the rough, sharp jaggedness had cut his hands and feet some. But the sheer will to live kept him going.

As his climb flattened, he ran carefully up the side, loosening rocks and slipping slightly along the way. Pulling himself up onto the flat top, he darted across and tried to find a place to hide or outmaneuver the other...

spying a tall, fallen over log that served as a bridge between two cliff tops, he darted towards it. Quickly crossing over as fast as he dared, he got to the over side and saw that Itachi was finished climbing the rocky face and pulling himself to his feet now. Mustering up his strength, he pushed at the log, trying to get the quite heavy object to fall over. He shoved and pushed, becoming frantic as the crazed brother was now fully sprinting towards him. Just as he reached five feet of the log, Naruto had pushed it off, causing it to fall to the cliffs below. Naruto's hreat gave a jolt of victory, there was no way Itachi could climb over to him now!

Although he hadn't counted on the hunter to actually jump, which was what he did. Getting a springing start, he launched himself across the well sized chasm. Not able to react to the move, Naruto suddenly found claws gripping into the flesh of his arm as Itachi dangled off the edge, using him as a rope.

Pain shot through his arm, and he let out a yell, using his other hand to claw at the fingers that held iron tight to his now bleeding arm. The heavier creature was dragging him down, but fortunately there was a large rock near Itachi's other hand, which he used to grab onto. (A/N: He's not doing it for Naruto, he just doesn't want both Naruto **and him** falling off since Naruto is his only chance of staying up)

Knowing Itachi would soon climb up and kill him, Naruto did the only thing he could at the moment. Leaning his head down, he suddenly sank his teeth hard into the raven's hand. The hand weakened a bit, and Naruto dug deeper, feeling his teeth cut tissue, and hopefully, nerves that kept his fingers shut tight.

Either the pain was too much, or he did cut those nerves, because the hand let go, and Naruto glanced over and found the other falling down towards the trickling stream below. Not wanting to look, he turned his head away, glancing up at the opposite cliff.

Where a horrified Sasuke stood and watched the show.

----TBC----

Sorry it just stampeded right to the sex, and it was short...xD...I hope water suffices well enough for lube...oO. Wuah, anyways, R/R.


	8. Injured

Dun dun dun...now, to see how the terrible cliffhanger continues...owo; be prepared for anything, and READ ON!!! 

---------

At first Sasuke came to try and protect his friend. But as he ran up a cliff to see Naruto fine, staring down as his own brother tumbled to the earth...well, all focus of that drained. Now the only thing he could even care about was the figure that seemed to crack on the deadly cliffs below.

"Itachi!" He cried out, wasting no time as he suddenly tried his best to stumble down the side of the cliff, not caring if he slipped or how jagged the rocks were. His feet were slightly accustomed to such terrain since he had been trained to hunt on any surface, but it still nicked a bit. But that didn't matter, not now.

Finally getting to the bottom, he stared, horrified, at the sight of his brother. A figure he had always looked up to, someone who always seemed so strong and untouchable, now lay broken on rocks smeared with his own blood. His hair was sprawled out in all directions, some sticking to his face. Glassy red eyes moved to peer over at his visiting brother, most likely seeing him for the last time. "Outoto..."

Sasuke reacted over initial shock, and kneeled down next to him, scanning over his injured body. "Don't speak, you'll only waste your energy...we have to get you help.." Just as he was about to call for someone, a hand clasped weakly around his wrist.

The older male shook his head slowly, painfully. "It's no use. I won't make it."

The way the statement was said so bluntly, so carelessly brought tears to the young hound's face. He stuttered, "D-Don't say that! You'll be fine..."

"Sasuke.." The quiet, yet stern tone caused those black iris to fix upon his older brother's face. "The only thing you can do now...is remember me...remember me, and remember who killed your own brother..." For a minute Itachi looked pained. "How could your own friend do this to you...would you still be a friend to my murderer...? Would you, Sasu...ke..."

The words died in a gurgle as Itachi's eyes lost all sign of life, and his erratic breathing slowed to a stop. Even though he was slowly drowning in his own blood, and becoming even paler with death, he still looked handsome, as he always did. In fact, he looked like he could of been sleeping...

At first the now only single Uchiha couldn't believe that his brother was dead. It didn't hit him as he stared blankly at his brother...no...not his brother, a body that was once his brother. This was now a corpse...a broken shell. No, his brother was gone, he realized, tears now starting to stream down his face. Killed...by...his own friend...why..?

_**Would you still be a friend to my murderer, Sasuke?**_

_...Naruto..._he thought, eyes turning to glare murderously at the cliff where the blond had once stood, now nowhere to be seen.

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't waste time as Sasuke went down to see his brother. Fearing that someone else might come along, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, not caring if he was actually getting farther away from his house.

Tears ran down his face as he thundered through the trees, stumbling and blindly fleeing from that place. His rough pace was only injuring his feet more, but he tried his best to ignore the aching pain.

Fate decided to get him to slow down, because suddenly a root caught the blond's foot and he tripped, roughly crashing to the ground and landing on his wounded arm.

Rough pain shot through his body, and he cried out into the silent forest. Quickly rolling over to relieve the weight on his arm, he puffed out, tears still freely falling. But it was more than the pain which caused him to cry.

_I just...I just killed a man..._

Curling up on his good side in a feeble position, the fox choked out a sob, feeling disgusted and horrified with himself. Digging his sharp claws into the palm of his own hand, he shared the emotional pain that his friend must of been enduring right now.

_I'm sorry Sasuke...I'm so sorry..._he thought in anguish, pain and exhaustion causing him to slip into darkness.

----------

This somehow felt familiar...

Naruto felt like he had been in this position before. Like he was sitting on a bed of cloud and cushion...as if floating and dreaming without a care in the world.

But suddenly pain started to itch at his body, and he knew this couldn't be real...

So, opening his bleary eyes, he found himself with arms wrapped around him, securely holding him as he was carried. At first, he wished it was Sasuke, holding him so safely like this...but at a glance at silver hair, he recognized it immediately.

"...K...Kakashi..?"

The old crow glanced down at him, still keeping up his quick pace. "You're awake...how are you feeling?"

Naruto never felt a need to butter himself up to his sensei. "Like shit."

His mentor gave a ghost of a smile before looking worried again, staring up at the road so he wouldn't lose his balance. "You've been out for a long while...I tried to wrap your wounds, but I wasn't really prepared for this..."

At first Naruto was confused, still slightly disoriented. But at the flashes of memories, he frowned, tilting his head down and trying not to go down through a breakdown again.

He snapped his head up at the sound of a worried voice, calling to him. "Naruto!"

Kakashi set him on his feet carefully, and the blond suddenly found himself in a hug, gentle and mindful of his wounds, but still filled of emotions. "Thank god..." Tsunade murmured into his hair, petting it softly. "I thought something terrible happened to you..."

Shoulders shaking, the Uzumaki tried to keep cool, but failing. He sobbed into her shirt, clutching it tightly. "I killed someone..."

Tsunade pulled back, obviously shocked. "What?"

Another sob. "I killed someone...he was chasing me, and he tried to kill me...but still...I'm such a bad person..."

"Ssshhhh..." His step-mom tried to calm him. "It's alright...let's go treat your wounds first. Then you can tell me what happened."

Both Kakashi and Tsunade supported him between themselves, slowly making their way back to the small farmland. Time seemed like a blur to the still injured and slightly delusional boy. Before he realized it, soft fingers were pressing a cold, wet rag against the wound on his arm, cleaning the blood and dirt from it.

"...Am I dozing off...?" The question was mumbled quietly.

"Slightly...but that's alright...you're tired..." the voice he always knew he could rely on was like a melody in his ears, and at the relaxing feel of gauze being applied to his arm, he nodded off again.

He could worry about things in the morning...

--------

**"..."**

**"...You do realize that this is your fault, boy. You've cost me one of my best hunter's life."**

**"...Yes, sir."**

**"This will weight on your mind forever...won't it?"**

**"Yes sir."**

**"Are you willing to cooperate now? Are you still willing to protect the whelp who killed your own blood?"**

**"..."**

**"Well? Speak up, boy."**

**"...No, master."**

**"Good. Now, tell me all you know about him..."**

------

Naruto knew it wasn't going to be a good day. Not when you wake up with a major headache and you feel like shit.

Groaning, he opened his eyes at the sound of voices. They sounded like angry words being exchanged. Realizing he was in his room, he slowly sat up, rubbing at his forehead, realizing it was wrapped with gauze. Most likely Tsunade's work...yeah, he remembered little bits and pieces of her care last night...

Slowly sitting up and wincing slightly because of his achy muscles and injured feet, he shuffled over to the door, quietly opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. The voices were louder now. He recognized Tsunade's vocie and someone elses...someone unfamiliar. Only a few words could be made out. "Menace...damage...catch..property..."

He poked his head around the corner to peer at the front door. Tsunade stood in the doorway, obviously not allowing her visitors to come in. From around her, he could see a tall, pale man. He reminded Naruto of a snake...the young boy shivered. He didn't like that man. He seemed threatening...Not caring to look at the creepy man, his eyes shifted to the figure next to the snake-man.

Only to have his own blue eyes meet with a pair of black irises. Naruto's breath hitched in realization.

_Sasuke..._

Feeling ashamed, and having no right to stare, he shifted his gaze to the floor, still feeling that heated gaze upon him. Backing up so that the hallway shielded him, he let out a shallow, quiet breath, slowly returning to his room.

Though he still felt uncomfortable, as if those deadly eyes were boring holes into the wall to get at him...

----TBC----

:0 Poor Naruto! That bastard Itachi, he still fufilled his mission even as he was dying! Now Sasuke hates Naru's guts! -oh noes- What will happen?!! R/R and it shall be revealed soon!


	9. Car Ride

Naruto didn't have the heart to exit his room, even long after their 'guests' had left. He sat in the corner of the room, wallowing in self hate and misery, claws lightly rubbing against the wood floor out of nervous habit.

After a couple hours, Tsunade came in, glancing over at him. "Lunch is ready," she said lightly, but her face was pulled into a worried look, and for a minute the fox wished he paid more attention to the conversation she had with the snake man. It must of been bad, to make her so sullen looking.

Carefully lifting himself up, he dragged his body into the kitchen, where the smell of ramen wafted in the air.

The blond sat down. He stayed quiet, eyes focused on the table surface, until mahogany was suddenly replaced with udon.

"Eat up," Tsunade ordered, and he did, carefully pulling the hot noodles into his mouth. He didn't know what it was about it, but the hot food seemed to help his mood. And the fact that it was his favorite meal didn't hurt either.

Carefully lifting up his gaze, he was startled to find two eyes peering at him. Swallowing his bite, he ceased eating, now worried at the look. "What's wrong?"

His step mom glanced down, then sighed, choosing her words carefully. "Naruto...let's go for a ride."

---------

His blue eyes gazed at the trees that passed by their pick up truck. The steady bumps of the road kept him from falling sleep, though he caught himself nodding off every once in a while. He would glance over at Tsunade for an explanation, but her stony face didn't reveal anything.

They drove for hours, and hours, and Naruto realized he had never traveled so far. In fact, this area wasn't even remotely similar to his own neighborhood. He frowned. What was it that made baa-chan drive so far?

Soon, she pulled over to the side of the road. Getting out, she nodded at Naruto, coaxing him to do the same. Ignoring the nervous feeling in his gut, he slowly kept his stride with his mom as she led him into the woods. There was a peaceful silence, not including the birds chirping and the leaves twitching from scurrying animals. But it was peaceful, as any woody area was.

The feeling in his gut grew more painful. "Baa-chan...why are we out here...?" He asked quietly, still walking.

Silence was broken by the wavering voice behind him, full of...regret? And sorrow? "Naruto. Please forgive me...I hope one day, we can live together again."

"What? But-"

His words died in his throat as Tsunade placed a well aimed hit to the back of his neck. He only coughed once, then passed out, eyesight slowly fading to darkness.

-------

_Sasuke had been there, watching as the two piled up into the car and drove away. He was curious...a day trip perhaps?_

**"****We need to get to the brat and have our revenge."**

_And so, he waited patiently, ever quiet and observant._

**"He will come and report to us when he finds anything out."  
**

_And many, many hours later, when it started to darken, the car came back. Only Tsunade climbed out of it, sobbing quietly into a hankerchief._

**"Sir, ****there's no way we can get to him. He has been abandoned somewhere far away."**_  
_

_He smiled. Interesting._

**"...I see..."**_  
_

----TBC----

Sorry it's so short, but I felt like I had to put something up...Anyways, next chapter will be longer, R/R!!!


	10. Abandoned

Ahah, I guest star in this episode! I think it'll be easy to see who I am. Read on!

-------------

It was dark.

That was the first thing that came to the young boy's mind when he opened his eyes. Though his fox eyes were sharp, it was easy to tell that it was in the middle of the night. Groaning as a subtle pain made its way into his neck, he sat up and rubbed at the sore skin, blinking blearily, not able to comprehend why he was laying out in the woods.

What had happened..?

Perhaps the aching throb in his neck was supposed to help him remember, but it didn't. So, instead of trying to remember, he instead sat up, taking in his surroundings. Out in unfamiliar woods...late at night...a heated scent in the air, it would thunderstorm soon...

Frowning, the young fox felt a sense of deja vu as he walked deeper into the woods. Though he was sure he'd never been here before, it seemed familiar...and why was he out here anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be close to home? Home...

And then he remembered the car trip with Tsunade. The long journey they endured to get to this place. Then, with a sinking feeling, he realized. So...this was the truth.

She abandoned him.

Frowning bitterly, he shoved his hands in his pockets, unable to understand or comprehend why she did that. Then a strange texture in his pocket caught his attention. Pulling it out, he smoothed the material down and stared at the crumpled piece of paper.

_Naruto,_

_I hope you can forgive me for this, but it's the only way I can protect you. There's no way you could of stayed with me any longer and still have the freedom you deserve. My neighbor, the one with the hounds, wants to kill you for what you did. I knew if I let you play out in our woods he would of succeeded, and I certainly couldn't keep you locked up in my house forever. You deserve better. So, I sent you to this place, where you'll be safe. Please don't try and find your way back, I doubt you'll be able to, and I don't want you getting hurt. Kakashi knows where you are, and will check up on you annually, but no more than that as it'd be too risky. I still love you, so stay alive, and one day hopefully we'll be together again._

_Love,_

_Mom _

Recognizing it as Tsunade's handwriting, he clenched his free fist, shuddering at the words. Tears rolled down his tanned cheeks, and he folded the paper neatly in half twice, tucking it away in his pocket, seeing as it's the only thing he has to remember her by.

Just then, the storm came._  
_

-------

He ran through the woods, shivering as the cold wetness tore at his body.

It was now down pouring, and a war of thunder and lightning created havoc in the sky above. Naruto was fearful, because it was starting to get really cold, and if he stayed out in this weather he'd surely die...

No trees seemed to harbor any good shelter. And no dens big enough for him. And he ran through the night, feet achy underneath the bandages for his cuts. Feeling slighty dizzy, he slowed down, searching the clearing he just came to with desperate eyes.

Then, it caught his eye. A large cave, one big enough to house him comfortably. Happy at the find, he ventured near, eager to get inside and to dry off. But then a scent caught his nose. It was marked all over this place. Something...else lived here.

Feeling his hopes slowly diminish, he gulped, now standing at the mouth of the cave, away from the rain. Dare he enter and risk getting killed for intruding? Or go out in to the storm to try and find shelter that may not even exist? Well, before he had time to think, a decision was made for him, for a dark shadowy figure approached suddenly from inside the cave, growling.

"Who's there?" the dark shadow grumbled out, sounding intimidating and defensive.

Naruto gulped, suddenly weary about the whole idea. But needing shelter, and realizing it'd be hard to turn back, he decided to press on. "Um...excuse me, I...ah.."

The voice growled, irritation clearly etched in the tone. "What do you want kid?" Suddenly a light flickered, a lamp was lit, and suddenly the hardly visible figure was revealed. It was a wolf girl, about 18 or so looking.She had blonde hair with red bangs, and clear blue eyes. Her ears and tail were lined with soft white fur, inside her ears were tinted pink. Dressed in a casual looking royal blue kimono, she stared gloomily at her unannounced guest.

Trying to find his tongue again, he stammered, fearing the look she had. "Please, I'm not used to living out in the woods, and it's storming..I don't have anywhere to go..."

The silence was thick and uncomfortable, though it only lasted a few seconds. Her sharp crystal eyes seemed to bore through his skin into his very soul. Sniffing quietly to test the air, she spoke again. "You smell of human...so you're a house pet?"

"Y-..yes."

She nodded, almost to herself. Then sitting back on her knees and rubbing her face as if it'd help wake her up, the wolf sighed, muttering quietly. Then, coming to a decision, she got up and went back in to the cave. "Come on.."

He obeyed, not needing to anger her and get kicked out. Following quietly, he was led in to the main area of the den, where an old mattress lay and some other things. A few other 'rooms' could be seen in the back. They entered one of these rooms.

It was a small room, cozy and unoccupied except for a small dusty table. Setting the lamp down, the girl muttered a 'hang on' while she walked over to a crude door, opening it up and rummaging around inside, pulling out a large pile of what looked like bedding material.

Closing the door, she picked each up, shaking the dust off and then setting it down. First came a soft, squishy looking comforter, next a finely woven blanket. Last, a pillow, clean except for the smell of moth balls.

"Here," she muttered quietly. "Don't wake me up in the morning, alright?"

Naruto nodded, in fact bowing at her hospitality. "Thank you, miss..."

"My names Ashlee, and you'll be wise to use it. And what do they call you?"

"Naruto.."

She snorted a bit, either from the name or the dust floating in the air. Or both. "Well Naruto, just don't bother me and we won't have any issues."

He nodded and she left to go depart back to her sleep. Sighing quietly in relief, he pulled off his wet, soggy clothes and threw them into the corner. Then, he crawled under the blanket back and lay down, curling up in the soft warmth as it radiated into his cold, damp body. His shivers slowly ceased, and though he wished he was home right now, at least he was able to sleep contently.

----TBC----

Wuahahah! Aww, I'm Naruto's room mate! Don't worry, there's no Mary Sue. In fact I'm barely in the story. R/R!!!


	11. Life Goes On

I'm so sorry it took me so long, but I went away on vacation! And I totally didn't think about posting BEFORE I left. Forgive me! I'll post sooner to make up for it!!

-------------

The smell of food caused Naruto's senses to awaken and, stomach growling at the discovery, he slowly sat up, hair falling into tired, blue eyes. Those same orbs slowly traced over the foreign room, slowly recognizing where he was again. His heart ached in realization, and he couldn't help but let the tears fall down.

Though, he promised himself this was the last time he'd cry for himself.

After about an hour of releasing his sorrow and composing himself afterwards, the fox threw on a large sleeping shirt that had been placed near the foot of his makeshift bed. Venturing out into the main den, his new room mate was cooking over a portable stove.

At the sound of his footsteps, Ashlee turned and offered a polite, "Good morning."

Naruto nodded, yawning and sitting next to her clothed form. "What's for breakfast..?" he asked quietly.

"Rabbit."

"It smells good..." realizing something, he asked curiously while looking around, "Why are there so many...human things here?"

She paused and gave him a mild look. "Most of it are things left behind in abandoned homes." Tending their meal, she decided to ask a question of her own. "So kid...since we're deciding to have this talk now, why are you out here all by yourself?"

Though he'd rather not think about it, he sadly told her of his story, everything from his foster mom to the hunter he killed, and to the the way he was dropped off so far from home. Surprisingly, he even told her about Sasuke. After recalling it all, he sat quietly, watching her cook the meat with an unsettled look gracing her features.

"How terrible..." was all the she-wolf could muster.

Nodding, he decided to change the subject. "So...have you always...lived in the woods?"

"Yes...wait," she added, looking thoughtful. "When I was eight years old I wandered into a human village near where I lived. A young boy found me and kept me in their farm for about a month...he was a nice human, took care of me and fed me treats...but his parents found me and they kicked me out."

"Oh." He blinked as a plate was set in front of him. She was staring at him, a smile on her features.

"Well Naruto, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. I could always use a good room mate anyways."

------

And room mates they were. He stayed with her, having no where else to go. She taught him everything she knew about survival in the woods, and he helped do chores and modernize the house to make tasks easier. All in all, they made a good team, and they even became best of friends. Sure, Naruto was reluctant when he first met the angry wolf girl, but he soon found out that she was grumpy when she didn't get any sleep, and was wise not to rouse her unless it was urgent.

One of their favorite things to do was explore the woods. Ashlee never really did so unless to hunt, so they found it quite enjoyable to walk and find new things. Once they even hiked for days on their own mini vacation. It was that time where they found an old abandoned house on a hill where they thought about moving.

"It's nice..." Ashlee complimented, examining the exterior. "It certainly is bigger than the cave. And I'm growing tired of that old dusty hole in the rock.."

Naruto 'hmed', tapping his fingers against the wood. "Are you sure? This place is kinda run down."

She just smiled. "We'll revamp it. Maybe even have indoor plumbing and all that human shit."

It only took about a week to move all of their stuff to the house. Secretly, Naruto loved the thought of living indoors again. And if there ever was a place the fox wanted to move to, it would of definately been here. The area around the house they moved into was rich and luscious with wildlife and vegetation, and they even had a huge lake with a waterfall near by. It was certainly not a bad home, not a bad home indeed. And certainly the company he found in Ashlee helped with the healing of his wounded heart.

"Naruto."

His day dreaming was interrupted as a large sheet was thrown on to his body. "Eh? What is it Ash?"

Rolling her eyes, mostly at the nickname, she scowled. "It's your turn to fold the laundry, that's what."

Grumbling but getting out of his chair, he picked up the sheet and walked over to the clothesline, listening to the footsteps as they led their way into the house...most likely to start cooking dinner.

Sighing, he carefully plucked off each article of clothing and folded it neatly, putting it into the basket he made about a month ago. Staring out into the darkening sky, he smiled.

Life was going to be good from now on.

-----TBC-------

No worries about the short chapter, I'm writing the next one as we speak. R/R!!!


	12. Losing Touch

That last chapter was mostly filler...but we need filler chapters, so that the story is longer! Ja ja. Anyways, read on!

-------------

One morning Naruto panicked to realize he forgot what Tsunade looked like. And if not for the picture of her on the nightstand, he would of forgotten completely.

Unfortunately, since he spent so long away from his past, his old memories began to slip away with time. The only thing that kept him connected at all was his yearly visits by Kakashi, who brought him pictures and random presents that Tsunade bought for him. He always kept them near his bed.

Of course, he had nothing but memories of Sasuke, and so to try and keep his image alive, he wrote the name Sasuke on a piece of paper and he hung it up on the wall. Every time he saw that paper he felt comforted, even though sometimes it took him a few seconds to remember the hound.

Today was going to be beautiful. In fact, it was winter time, almost Christmas. Waking up and stretching, Naruto smiled lightly, snow able to be seen out his bedroom window. In fact, it may of been enough snow to go play outside...

"**Ash!!**" Was suddenly boomed through the house, even causing some of their dishes to rattle slightly.

Said wolf merely groaned, shifting under her blankets and snorting about noisy foxes.

--------

"Don't look at me like that."

Ashlee continued to glare tiredly, scowl hidden from the large scarf wrapped around her neck and bottom half of her mouth. "I don't understand why we couldn't of done this in a few hours..."

"It might melt from the sun." Naruto smiled, picking up some snow and rolling it in to a ball. "Have some seasonal cheer!"

"If I am awakened before 7:30, I am not a morning person-" the snowball cut her off, impacting with the side of her head. "Damnit, Naruto! That's cold!!!"

And that's how the snow war started. Quickly taking shelter behind anything, they launched frozen projectiles in an attempt to hit each other. Soon the rocks and trees were covered in residue snow ball. Ashlee currently was in the lead, as she had snuck up behind Naruto and shoved snow down his pants.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" He screamed, trying to get the coldness off his butt while the she-wolf howled with laughter. Just as he was about to make her eat snow, a familiar voice cut them off.

"Well it seems you two are taking advantage of the weather."

"Kakashi," they said in unison, watching as he dropped down from the tree, brushing off snow from his silver hair. A peculiar sack was slung over his shoulder.

His eye smiled at them. "How are you guys doing?"

"Fine Kakashi!" Naruto said, running over and tackling his old sensei. Kakashi caught him, learning from past experience not to topple over, and merely chuckled, ruffling his blond hair.

"How are you doing, you ancient crow?" Ashlee answered, in a teasing way.

"Bah. I come bearing gifts and you insult this poor man? Maybe I should take my business elsewhere..." But a certain clingy fox pouted in protest.

"But Kakashi, I wasn't rude. You should only return her presents, not mine!"

Kakashi laughed. Though Naruto had matured over the years, he still wasn't completely an adult yet. What a kid. "Alright, I'll just give out all the presents."

"Well not out here. We don't need people freezing. Let's go make some cocoa," Ashlee replied, leading the other two to the house.

----------

**Opening the door to the shrine slightly, Sasuke stepped out on to the lawn. All he had was the clothes he wore, which were black pants, a white loose kimono top, and a purple satin sash belt (1) wrapped tightly around his waist, and a backpack stuffed with unknown objects. Turning to look at the house he never really felt like home at, he spoke softly. "Forgive me Master...but I must get revenge for my brother on my own." And with those last words the hound walked off in to the woods, silence veiling him like a ghost... **

Oorichimaru stood at the window, glaring out at the snow coming down. He was angry for two reasons. One, he hated winter since game was hard to find. All the animals hibernated, so he certainly couldn't make profit during this time of year. The other reason was...

"Master.." a voice said behind him.

The snake man turned halfway, glaring at the dark shaded figure. "What is it..."

"I'm sorry, master, but I have yet to find Sasuke. He has disappeared in to the night, and I can't pick up his scent."

"..." Having no words to reply with, he sat there fuming. Knowing that little hound of his he probably went to go look for that fox-bitch. To kill him or fuck him, Oorichimaru wasn't sure about. The voice spoke up again, in the silence.

"Shall I continue searching?"

"No...that won't be necessary. When spring comes we'll have to try hunting abroad. And if we happen to run into the little couple..." He sneered, almost like a snake before the strike. "We kill them both."

---------------

It had been a long day for Naruto.

When Kakashi visited they spent hours presenting presents and enjoying each other's company. Then, Cain, Ashlee's wolf friend (though Naruto knew she had a crush on him) came over to drop off some presents and to take Ashlee out for a stroll. Naruto decided to train in the back yard, not wanting to get lazy or unfit as he grew. When Ashlee got back they helped decorate the house and bake homemade cookies that the she-wolf miraculously found ingredients for (2). All in all, it was a busy day.

He brought the fox plushie Tsunade sent him and the kunai set from Kakashi in to his room as he prepared for bed. Setting the items down next to his other past presents, he smiled over all of them. Then, he glanced over at the lone paper stuck to the wall, a basic name scribbled on it.

_Sasuke...who are you? _

-----TBC-------

(1) I wanted to include Sasuke's Shipuudden outfit, but I never really liked that bulky purple rope belt Sasuke wore, so I replaced it with a satin sash :P Yum!

(2) Aren't women so resourceful??? xD

R/R! If I don't update before December is over, I wish you all Happy Holidays! BUT a note, I am planning to write a Christmas fic so keep your eyes out!


	13. Confrontation

Mmm, two stories are hard to maintain. I'll get it done though!

As for this story...I can see it ending in about 3-5 more chapters. As much as I loved writing this, I need to work on other projects. Anyways, read on!

-------------

Ashlee hummed, walking through the woods to head back to her home. She had just got done from visiting Naruto for the week.

You may ask yourself, why Ashlee wasn't living with Naruto anymore? Well, the answer is one simple word. Love. Ashlee had been surprised when Cain had ask her to be his mate and to go live with him in his village. Though she was overjoyed that her feelings were returned, she was still hesitant about leaving Naruto alone. After all, he was abandoned once, if she left would he think the same about her?

But when she explained the story to him, he was overjoyed and happy for her, insisting that she leave. And with the promise of visiting as often as possible, Ashlee left, leaving Naruto in the house they had chosen together. They hadn't even lived in it together for a full year.

But, Naruto seemed happy. And though Ashlee missed her old life, she was happy to finally have her soul mate, and was eager to spend the rest of her live with him. Her swollen stomach, heavy with wolf pups, confirmed that eagerness.

She had spent a week with Naruto, since the trip was so long and it'd be pointless for a short visit, and was now on the border of her own homeland. She could probably get home in time for supper...

But a cold hand that suddenly gripped on her neck gave her the impression she may be late...if she came back at all.

Though the hold on her neck was tight, it wasn't meant to hurt...yet. The person's other hand suddenly appeared. It was pale and slender, though it seemed much more deadly since it was holding a sword pointed at her stomach.

"If you don't want the pups to spill the ground now, I suggest you cooperate," a dark, velvety voice said near her ear.

She was careful not to move a single inch, concerned more for her babies welfare than her own. Nodding ever so slightly, she spoke in a calm manner, "What do you want of me?"

"Who sired these pups?"

Was it an enemy of her husband? She seemed it was pointless to lie, though. "Cain of the Lunadre Family.."

"Really? Then why do I smell the scent of Naruto Uzumaki on you?...No matter. All I need from you is to tell me where Naruto is."

She was silent for a second, for something in her brain clicked together...and though knowing it might end up hurting her, she asked quietly, "You're Sasuke, aren't you?"

The blade pointed at her quivered slightly, and the grip on her neck seemed to loosen by the tiniest bit. "You know of me?"

"Naruto has told me much about you."

Suddenly the grip on her neck vanished, and so did the sword pointed at her. But the hand gripped her shoulder now, and spun her around so that she was face to face with dark, onyx eyes. "You know him on a personal level then?" He asked casually, flicking the sword towards her as if to remind her who had the upper hand.

"Yes. He's my friend...what do you want with him?"

"That's none of your concern. But, I suggest you answer my question, or I'll kill you, hunt him down, and show him no mercy."

She took a shallow breath. "Continue down this road until you get to a fork in the road. Go right, and you'll eventually see a large field on your left with a house on the hill. He lives there. The trip will take you some time."

The tall raven haired hound nodded. "Good." He sheathed his sword and turned, walking silently down the road without even glancing back.

Ashlee let out a breath of relief, and she held her stomach comfortingly, knowing her puppies would be just fine. But as for her friend...she honestly couldn't say the same thing. **Naruto...I'm so sorry. **

**-------------**

Naruto was currently curled up on his side, reading a book he found in the attic of the old building. It was an interesting romance, entitled "The Doll and The Monster", and the base of it was a human girl meeting a cursed prince and falling in love. It was actually quite good, though it was a tad bit dramatic for his taste.

But it kept him company, especially with the wind howling outside and the rain beating down on the roof of the house. The storm had suddenly picked up a bit after sunset. It was probably going to last all night.

The poor fox had always had someone to comfort him on these dark nights. He surprisingly remembered how he would climb into bed with Tsunade and cuddle with her through the night. And nights like this were the time he and Ashlee would camp out in their living room with sleeping bags, telling stories and having conversations deep into the wee hours of morning.

Though he wished for someone's contact right now, he guessed the book would have to do.

Though his concentration when a particularly rough wind tore at the outside of the house, causing the tree outside to knock harshly against the wood. Shuddering, he curled up tighter, suddenly feeling very lonely, and he desperately wanted to see his mom again...if only for the night.

More knocks were heard, but these were strangely in unison...no wait, someone was knocking at his front door!

Getting up, and not bothering to turn on the lights, he wondered who it was. Was it Ashlee? Did the storm hit early where she was traveling and she thought it was too risky to walk in it? Who knew. But whatever the reason, he opened the door, expecting to see her pregnant form huddled from the cold-

Though he was very wrong, for the figure at the door suddenly grabbed his throat tightly, choking him instantly and lifting him off the ground.

Suddenly fearing for his life, which was being taken from him as the iron grip crushing his wind pipe tightened. He suddenly lashed out, aiming a clumsy but powerful kick to the person before him. The stranger hissed, suddenly letting go of Naruto and dropping him. Though Naruto had relatively good night vision, he was too busy struggling to breathe as he backed away from where his attacker had dropped him.

But a clawed hand caught his foot, trying to prevent him from moving. Lashing out suddenly, Naruto aimed another kick, which was caught, unfortunately. Struggling, Naruto reached for anything he could use as a weapon-

Until the unmistakable feel of a blade pressed against his throat, causing him to cease movements at once. Still heaving and slightly disoriented from the sudden attack, he shivered as the figure pressed his weight on to him to keep him pinned.

"I've got you now, my dear Naruto."

And as if his amnesia was a disease, the sound of the man's voice was the cure, suddenly filling in the gaps in Naruto's memory of the name taped to his wall. Trembling slightly, Naruto spoke out, "S-Sasuke..."

-----TBC-------

Oh shit. A cliffie!!! What will Sasuke do to poor Naruto?! Omfg, who knows? You will, next chapter!! R/R!!!!


	14. Punishment

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I certainly got many things I am thankful for.

Just a note, if you enjoy my work and you'd like to read more, I'm working on another Sasunaru story as we speak...in fact, I may start up one more when this one is finished (When I have more stories to write, it seems I have more motivation to get the work done.)

Uhm, that's all I have for now. Read on! OH, also, this chapter has HEAVY YAOI SMUT! I won't ruin the details, but it pretty much dives right into the good stuff...and there's some kinky stuff as well. SO BE WARNED!

-------------

He found no strength to move from the strong grip he was currently under. Shivering at the red eyes that seemed to pierce the night, Naruto wished that this little reunion of theirs would be on better terms. Though judging from the position they were in, that plea wouldn't be answered anytime soon.

So, trying to remain calm, he spoke out quietly, "Y-you found me...?"

The hound smirked, leaning a bit closer. "That wolf friend of yours told me...with a little _persuasion_..."

Though he needed to be careful around the hostile male, the blond blurted out, "You didn't hurt her, did you?"

"No.." Sasuke tilted his head. "I just pointed my sword at her. That's all it took."

Relief flooded Uzumaki's stomach, and he decided to stay silent as the Uchiha pressed harder into him, as if trying to force the breath out.

"So, Naruto," Sasuke said casually as if talking about the weather, "I assume you know why I'm here..."

"N-Not really.." Naruto choked out as the blade drew lightly across his neck, chilling his skin.

The Uchiha paused, blade still lightly touching the other's neck. "So you don't even acknowledge the fact that you killed my brother?" He asked quietly, though it had an under-lacing of anger.

"W...what? I didn't...I didn't mean to-"

The sword at his neck drew a gash, pretty deep, and Naruto decided it'd be best to not finish that thought, since it may end up killing him. Instead, he decided to ask the question that both of them knew would of come up eventually. "Are you...going to kill me then?"

"I've thought about it..in fact, sometimes I even planned out ways to prolong your torture...but..." Sasuke smirked, gently flicking the blade across the scarred cheek once before lodging it in the ground near them. "I think that what I have planned will be torture enough."

Naruto closed his eyes, knowing the promise behind those words. He didn't have any time to ponder his fate, for when a wet object danced across his bleeding neck, he snapped his eyes open and saw that Sasuke...was licking him?

After licking the blood clean from the wound, Sasuke pulled back, slightly, a dark look in his eyes. "If you haven't realized it by now, you won't be able to move your body at all," he said bluntly, his ivory fingers moving down to slowly un-button the kitsune's night shirt. "I don't need you trying to escape your fate, my dear little Naru-chan..."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. _When he cut me...?_ Determined, he tried to lift one of his arms to test it out. No such luck, it was as if his whole body wasn't functioning. And when his shirt was cast aside and those hands started for his pajama pants,he realized what was going on. "W-wait, Sas-"

He was cut off as the hound suddenly kissed him harshly, bruising both of their lips with the rough action. Whimpering in protest as a tongue wiggled its way past his lips, Naruto wished he could melt into the floor and disappear...

"Now, now..." Sasuke chided, swiftly yanking off both of the fox's pants and boxers in one movement, " As much as I'd _like_ for you to enjoy this, I am technically punishing you. So, let's cut to the chase..."

Naruto was suddenly flipped over on his arms and knees, ass propped up in the air. Filled with embarrassment for being in such a situation, the Uzumaki did his best to hide his face in his arms as two calloused hands brushed his tail out of the way, grabbed his plump cheeks and parted them, exposing his puckered entrance to the Uchiha's hungry eyes. "You look so delicious, Naru-chan...no need to be ashamed of it..."

Gasping as yet another familiar wet object curiously poked at his sensitive opening, flicking lightly across it. "Nnn, Sasu..ke...Please..."

"Please...what?" The other asked curiously, not breaking his focus as he lavished the boy with his tongue, grinning as pushing his wet muscle slightly into his partner's body earned a moan. "Please...stop? Or are you pleading for something else? Maybe you want...something bigger inside?" Quickly coating his index and middle fingers with saliva, he pushed them in without any warning, causing the other to gasp. "Any better...?"

Naruto gritted his teeth at the hound's crooning, trying not to scream out as those fingers roughly pumped in and out of him, stretching him for the inevitable. "N-no...stop it...I don't want it..."

The raven haired man merely laughed, continuing his fingering job. "You expect me to believe that when you're already so hard...?" He questioned, casually running a finger from his free hand lightly up the underside of Naruto's slowly weeping cock. "You're lying Naruto. You still love me, even after all these years..." Quieting down, he slowly pulled out his digits, a whimper being heard.

Naruto stayed silent, listening as the rustling of clothes and the sound of him spitting hinted he was getting himself ready. Trying not to shudder as he felt the Uchiha's hard, slick cock press against his entrance, he found his back flush with the other's nude chest. "I'd suggest you relax," the other warned him, though Naruto supposed the request was so it was easier for the man above him.

Sasuke then slowly pushed in to the other's sweaty body, trying not to come right there from the tight heat surrounding him. Once in to the hilt, he only waited for a few seconds before pulling out and thrusting back in, creating a slow, but rough tempo.

Though Sasuke had stretched and even prepared him (something Naruto didn't really understand) it still hurt. Though Sasuke was very well endowed...and though it hurt, he bit back the tears and tried to ignore the heavy breathing near his ear, though he certainly couldn't ignore the fact he was being split in two. Suddenly, the head of Sasuke's need pushed up against something inside of the fox and he let out an involuntary moan, earning a smirk from the dark haired male as he thrusted to aim at that spot.

Sasuke knew he couldn't hold out much longer, and so he reached around to grab the boy's need, pumping in time with his thrusts. "There's...no reason we can't come together, Naru-chan.." he said in a tone Naruto couldn't quite place, nibbling on his sensitive furry ear.

Naruto could feel it, his climax was approaching at an alarming rate, and he wished that it wouldn't, he didn't want to give Sasuke the satisfaction, but he couldn't help it, between all the stimulating he suddenly cried out, painting the floorboards with his cum. His inner walls automatically clenched around Sasuke, who groaned and also came, allowing Naruto's insides to milk him of every last drop.

Sasuke supported himself with his arms, pulling out of Naruto's spent body. Both were sweaty, and Naruto still had the effects of the numbing poison in his system. He laid there on the floor as Sasuke got up after a few minutes and left his side, going to do who knows what. Naruto couldn't care at the moment, he was too disoriented.

After a while, he felt his limp body being picked up and carried into another part of the house. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw that they were both in the bathroom, and the tub was filled halfway. Slowly recognizing what was going on, he weakly grabbed at Sasuke's arm. "Please...please, don't drown me."

"...Idiot. I'm not drowning you..."

Naruto hissed as he was slowly lowered into the hot water. Getting used to the temperature, he blinked confusedly as hands armed with shampoo attacked his hair and scalp. "Sasuke...?"

"You smell like sweat and sex. It's disgusting." Was the only excuse Sasuke gave.

Confused, but glad that he wasn't about to be killed, he didn't protest as the hound cleaned him up with surprisingly gentle care. Afterwards, he was dried off, and brought into his room and placed under his sheets.

Too tired to stay awake, Naruto drifted off to sleep, not noticing how Sasuke had climbed into bed with him and held him possessively.

--------

Soooo, is Sasuke good or evil? It's so hard to tell, I know.

Mmm, I hope that satisfied your libidos. I really am a sucker for rim jobs, I don't know why...although I am a kinky bitch.

Anyways, I really hate hurting poor Naruto, but a story needs drama you know! Maybe Sasuke will get his just desserts...stay tuned for more, R/R!


	15. Repent

Sorry it's late again, I've been busy as usual. I'm gonna try to wrap this up ASAP, so stay tuned!

WARNINGS: Some cussing, Light mature situations (that means non-graphic sex, people!) Overly-sickening fluff..?

-------------

Naruto felt so peaceful as his mind took the first step of waking up. It was the step that you knew you were awake, but you kept your eyes closed anyways since you were so relaxed, almost hoping you'd fall back asleep into that peaceful slumber...

As he lay there, too content to actually conjure the first thought of the day, he could feel the sun's rays warming on his skin. It felt so nice...so soothing...the blankets contributed to the warmth he had now, as well as the figure laying next to him-

And then suddenly, realization hit him, and suddenly he didn't feel so warm anymore.

Trying not to throw himself in panic mode, he silently listened to the man spooning him breathe against his neck, causing him to shiver every once in a while. Wincing as he shifted and pain shot through his lower body, he slowly, inch by agonizing inch, moved away from the body sharing the bed with him. After he was free from the Uchiha's grasp, he slowly crept out of bed, not wanting to awaken the other and have to deal with the confusion.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Naruto froze in place, that voice haunting his ears. Daring to turn back, he stared at the naked figure in his bed, eyes still closed but speaking to him with humor in his voice.

"I'm not that much of a heavy sleeper, stupid."

Though Naruto had every reason to fear the hound, he couldn't help but respond. "Don't call me that."

It was silent for a few minutes, as Sasuke opened his eyes and regarded the blond carefully. After sitting up in bed and leaning against the frame, he spoke again. "Can your pride not handle such an insult?"

"No...but only my friend called me that name, and I don't see the same friend in you any longer."

"...I see." The taller man stood up from bed, not seeming to notice his own nudity as he strode towards Naruto. Said fox tensed, wondering if he was about to get punished for saying such things...

But the Uchiha merely brushed past him, murmuring, "Well, I'll be taking a shower now."

Leaving Naruto to stand in the middle of his floor, wondering just what the hell was going on.

------

Two figures stood in a clearing. It would of been peaceful, but both their presences seemed to have silenced the woods, as if their aura alone could provoke fear. One seemed to be concentrating, the other was focused on him.

"Master, I think I may have a lead here.."

The snake man grinned. "Very well. I give you permission to find them, since you will be able to travel much faster than both of us."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

**"...Show no mercy." **

--------**  
**

Naruto sat atop of his hill with his kimono wrapped around him, staring down into the valley and trying to sort out all this mess in his head. Why did Sasuke not kill him? Didn't he hate him...? It was all very confusing.

He wanted to focus on the problem, but it was very hard to with the soft wind blowing, carrying the sweet smell of the forest through the air. The sun was starting to set, turning the sky a pale orange. It was truly breath-taking, and he couldn't help but relax at the feel, the sight, the sound, the taste, the feel of it all.

To him, this was his paradise.

That is, until a smell approached. Already knowing who it was, he sat there quietly, not reacting as a figure sat next to him. They didn't even speak for a few minutes, just staying in the awkward silence of it all. And for some strange reason, be it instinct or common knowledge, Naruto knew this was going to get emotional soon. Whether it was he or Sasuke who would break down, he didn't know. Both of them could express themselves when the time was right.

After a second, he felt soft fingers pull and massage at one of his ears, he jerked back, opening his eyes to stare at the hound, who faced him with an impassive look. Pissed off, Naruto finally spoke, "Why the hell am I even here?"

An eyebrow was raised, apparently he needed to elaborate.

Finally turning away, he muttered with an air of anger and simple confusion, "Why don't you just kill me? I don't get you."

More silence. At first the fox wondered if the raven haired man was even listening. After a second, the kitsune sighed, staring quietly up at the sky, a few birds passing by to spread their song. It was strange, the world around him was so happy, yet he could seem so miserable.

Naruto nearly jumped at the sound of Sasuke finally acknowledging him.

"I wanted to hate you. Almost every inch of my being felt like you were to blame for my brother's death, even though the logical side of my brain insisted you wouldn't be able to hurt anything."

The fox wondered sullenly if the other was insulting him, or complimenting him.

"It just..." The hound sighed, staring peacefully out at nothing. "It was easier to deal with it if I had someone to blame. There was no one to blame other than you, and so my negativity grew until I was blinded by revenge. I..." his voice quieted."...I honestly thought I could, and would, kill you with no hesitation."

The blond had no doubts in his mind about that.

Finally their eyes met, and Sasuke spoke softly, spoke in a tone Naruto hadn't heard in years, and it was hard to keep back the tears at the sincerity and tenderness of his words, "But then I saw you again...yesterday, when you were out on your porch."

Naruto was surprised. He thought the other had arrived around the time he attacked. he was hiding out and spying on him then...?

"I watched you, and I immediately knew I dare not kill you."

"But why?"

Ivory fingers suddenly hesitated to find themselves intertwined with tan ones. "Our connection...I felt it awaken. I knew if I killed you, my spirit would break and I would have nothing to live for. But even though I realized this...so many years spent building up anger, and I felt cheated, and I couldn't break that sensation away." He broke his gaze away for his next words, ashamed apparently. "I decided I had to cause you some harm, in order for me to try and get over this. And so later that night I broke into your house, and...raped you."

He almost expected anger to bubble up at this information, but the fox felt nothing negative about this discovery. "Sasuke..."

In response, he shook his raven haired head. "I harmed you, and now that the anger is gone, I only feel sick and remorse. I...understand if you hate me, and I'll...leave you be."

There was a deep silence as those words were absorbed in. In the silence Sasuke tried not to cry, but he failed, he just felt too sorry for himself and for his ex-lover. So instead he kept his head down, hiding the evidence.

But two warm, soft hands grabbed his cheeks and gently forced him to look up. Though he felt like he didn't have the right to, he would never deny Naruto anything now, and so he turned to focus on the other's face...

...alarmed to find tears there too.

And words weren't needed. The love expressed through those sky blue eyes told the hound that he was forgiven, and without hesitation, they pulled each other into a slow, soul-melting kiss.

Suddenly overwhelmed by the romance and emotion they shared like this only when they were younger, they suddenly were hungry for more, but not in an animal-like, lustful way. They kept it slow, but they did lay back on the soft grass and wrap themselves into each other, hoping to meld into one and never be separated again.

The sun soon turned the sky a red gold, and the birds were beginning to quiet, leaving the wind to howl softly to the two reunited lovers. And like the sky around them, they took their time, slowly using their hands and mouth to memorize their partner's bodies all over again. And just as the sun started to spill over the horizon, Sasuke found himself with his own kimono pulled open, laying there with a shaky body, while Naruto, who had been nude under his kimono, sat atop him and placed tender kisses all over his face as he sheathed the hound's want into his warm body.

"Oh, Sasuke.."

"Naru..."

And even then they took it slow, achingly building up the pleasure bit by bit, Naruto slowly grinding down onto the body beneath him while a hand gently and lovingly worked his own need over. Though sweaty and mad with pleasure, they didn't even have the urge to fuck. It was as if this was simply a way to confirm their relationship and bind them together, to share their love and pleasure together to ride out until the end. A combining of two lost souls.

And that's all that mattered to them at the moment.

--------

People from many of the fandoms I've worked with know me as a big sap. As I've said to many, "Me and fluff just go good together." So, that was my overly flufftastic part of the story, and I doubt there will be another scene this mushy...So enjoy it!

And I added the naughtiness because I just love tender, make-up sex.

Aha, a quick funny note: Isn't it strange that I come up with smart words like "meld", yet most of the time I check dictionary dot com because I'm always like "wait a minute, I know this word, but I'm not sure if I'm using it right." Lol, smart, but forgetful. That is what I am. :D

R/R!


	16. Birth

I've been so busy lately with school. Gur, I can't wait till Spring Break...anyways, please forgive me.

WARNINGS: light fluff, mild gore (blood), descrpit medical procedures (birth). Don't like any of this? Sorry, Don't read!

-------------

A knock at the door.

"Babe! Come to dinner, I don't want the food getting cold."

Ashlee sighed, heaving her heavy body up and slowly padding her way into the kitchen. "Hang on a minute, one of our neighbors is at the front door." At the peak of her pregnancy, the she-wolf was expecting any day now. Many in the village came by every day to give her gifts and blessings. That's what she loved about her new home, everyone was family here.

Waddling to the door, with a fussy husband yelling from the kitchen and chiding her about moving around too much, she opened the door to greet the guest.

Surprised to see two familiar faces there.

"N..Naruto?"

The blond fox merely smiled at her gently, while...Sasuke stood slightly behind the other, staring off at nothing, or rather, anything besides the figure in the doorway.

"_We_," an emphasis on that word, "came by to support you with the baby. I already promised you that. Also..I think.." Naruto turned towards the hound, clearing his throat.

Feeling slightly humiliated and guilty, he stepped forward and bowed his head slightly. "I..ask you to forgive me."

The pregnant mother only stared at them both, one with a soft, questioned look, the other with a firm gaze, unsure of what to make of this.

Then suddenly, a slap was echoed in the air, and the raven found himself holding not only a stinging cheek, but a bleeding one too. Surprised, but not entirely unexpecting the gesture, he glanced up at Ashlee, who now had some blood underneath her nails, but a smile showed on her face nontheless.

"I forgive you. Shall we all sit down to dinner?"

--------

It was an awkward atmosphere at first, for Ashlee because she was actually serving a meal to the man who threatened her unborn children, and for Sasuke since he was holding guilt for the same reason. But knowing he had not harmed her friend helped the wolf to see the Uchiha wasn't such a bad person, maybe just a little confused. So sparing the details to her mate, she offered both of them warm affection and conversation...which made Sasuke only feel worse.

After dinner, as Cain went to do the dishes, the other three met in the living room to catch up. As they sat down, Ashlee more carefully, it was surprisingly the raven who blurted out, "How are the pups?"

A bit surprised, the blonde smiled, placing a hand over her stomach. "Healthy. They'll be due any day now." The two males seemed content with this.

"Do you know how many?" asked Naruto.

"Ah...we have three coming. Two girls, one boy." She suddenly made a noise, and Naruto tensed, looking worried.

"Oh, sorry about that...they usually kick me nowadays. I think they realize it's time to come out." She smiled gently. "If you want, you're welcome to feel or hear them."

Naruto moved to sit near her, carefully glancing up for a confirmation. Then, he carefully laid his head against her tummy, amazed to hear the three little heartbeats, their mothers thudding above them.

Sasuke sat there quietly, staring softly at his newfound lover and his..well, their friend. It was a heart warming scene, even to someone like an Uchiha. Without thinking, he carefully stood up, feeling a bit awkward and hesitant around her still. But she glanced up and only smiled, which calmed him a bit. Carefully walking over, he leaned down and placed a hand near Naruto's head, waiting as a little foot pressed against it.

And sharing this moment suddenly caused a thought to stir in his head. _I want a son._

---------

Later that night, Naruto and Sasuke laid in bed, naked but not eager to please each other. They were happy to just lay in the other's embrace. Thinking about his earlier thoughts, Sasuke was really torn. There was no one he could love besides who he had now, but...Naruto...he couldn't sire pups. As ok it would be to maybe adopt a child, he probably wouldn't have the connection he might of had if the child was of his own.

Naruto could easily sense his thwonderings were deep. "What are you thinking about?"

Though he might upset Naruto with this, he could at least tell him half of his feelings. "Well...just, seeing Ashlee like that, it just...made me envious of a family life..."

He relaxed when he felt a smile across his skin. "I felt the same way, actually..." He paused, then suddenly sat up, pulling away from the other. The raven frowned, reaching for his lover, but the next words cut him off. "Then...we...why are we together then? I can't give birth..."

Sasuke sighed, rolling over and looping an arm around the tan waist. "As much as I'd love a son of my own family, I would never chose that over you. There are other ways, you know..."

Naruto grinned, but it was a thin smile, one that didn't light up his face like normal. "I just, feel bad. You deserve a son. A real son..."

Before they could delve further into the issue, there was frantic knocks at the door. They both glanced over, having a feeling what was going on, and the voice through the door clarified it.

"Ashlee is going into labour!"

They had no time to think. Scrambling on their clothes, they all had discussed what was to happen. Cain would go get the doctor and the two would help bring in towels, hot water, and anything else needed in preparation.

Naruto had never seen it, and he was sure Sasuke hadn't either, but it was the look on Ashlee's face that told him it wasn't exactly pleasent. Her face was already contorted with pain, and a bit of sweat trickled down from the painful contractions. The blond gently wiped the sweat free with a cool washcloth.

"Do you want us to wait outside when it's going on?" Naruto asked softly, squeezing his friend's hand.

"If you don't want to be in here for that part, I understand, but I'd really appreciate it if you stayed.." she murmured, trying not to ball her fists too tight and cut herself.

Turning to glance at Sasuke, he got a confirmed nod on his behalf. After all, it was the least he could do to make up his foolishness. So they stayed, cooling down her forhead and trying to coax her when she went into a fit of pain.

After what seemed forever, the door came open, and Cain rushed in again, another elderly looking wolf following him. The elder one inspected the room, then turned to Ashlee. "Alright young one, let's see how far along we are."

Having already being prepared for this, all she wore lately were large sleepign shirts at night, so it was easier when the time came. Pulling back the sheets, the doctor gently coaxed her legs apart, inspecting the progress.

"Well, you're dilated enough, so you can start pushing now."

Nodding, she took a deep breath, gaining courage from her husband, who was squeezing her hand, and the two figures who stood near in case they were needed. Though it hurt, and it was hard, she pushed with all her might, trying not to cry out in pain.

"Easy, you're doing great...keep breathing..."

It was a slow process, for all of them. Every second seemed like an hour, and even the individual minutes took their toll on her body. Suddenly, a shrill cry broke the tension, and the doctor murmured, "The first one is out."

Cain eagerly rushed to to take the wailing baby from the doctor cutting the umbilical cord, and Sasuke and Naruto both held their breath at the sight of the tiny baby, shocked at the open air and crying for it's parents. This one was one of the girls, and they could already tell it would have a full head of hair colored the same bleached blonde as her mother. As Cain cleaned the baby up and wrapped it carefully, he moved over to Naruto, smiling sheepishly.

"I don't wanna risk trying to hold all of them, can you guys help?"

Wordlessly nodding, Naruto turned his complete attention to the small, delicate package being handed to him. Minding the baby's head, the fox held her close, almost unsure and amazed at the tiny wonder. He spared a moment to glance up at Sasuke, who was looking at him warmly.

As Naruto cradled the baby and protecting it as if it were his own, they waited quietly and tried to ignore the painful whimpers of the she-wolf on the bed.

"The next one is out."

This one was handed to Sasuke. This one was a boy, also having the soft blond hair of his mother. The hound was just as careful, if not more, than Naruto, checking every few seconds to make sure he was holding the babe properly. Everything was going fine...

Until the doctor suddenly looked concerned. "There seems to be a problem."

All of them focused on the older man, even Ashlee, who seemed like she would pass out soon. "W-what..?" She asked fearfully, her dull, tired eyes sparking a fear.

"The cord is wrapped too tightly around the neck..." Wasting no time, he spoke calmly but firmly, "I can't cut it off yet. Ashlee, you need to push a bit more..." As she did so, he was ready and gently cut at the umbilical, unwinding it from it's neck. Unlike it's screaming siblings, this one was silent, apparently not breathing.

They all stared, mortified as the doctor started to try and coax the baby into breathing again. The attempt seemed futile after a few seconds, and Ashlee sobbed into her hand.

"Sssh, honey, please, don't over-exert yourself," Cain tried to calm her down, but he was obviously worried as well.

"I...don't know about this one," The doctor spoke quietly, still not stopping on his actions though.

There was a heavy sadness and despair in the room, which was covered by the wails of the two healthy babies. Naruto and Sasuke stared miserably at the unmoving child, praying to themselves...

As they all felt their hearts drop lower, suddenly the baby hiccuped, choking on air and breathing heavily, now crying along with the others.

The doctor sighed with relief, gently checking the baby again and then passing her over to Cain. After helping deliver the afterbirth, he went to go wash his hands and leave them alone.

Ashlee reached for her lucky one, glad to see one of them had crimson hair like their father. She snuggled the baby close to her, still crying a bit about her close call. They all could relax, the worst was over for now.

**And upon a hill top, many miles away, a dark figure loomed in the night, giving on a cynical smile.**

**"Just wait..I'm coming for you two."**

---------

Sorry if my birthing scene wasn't accurate, I've never experienced birth, and I mostly have some fanfiction and shows to work from. If you notice some crucial errors that should be fixed, please let me know!

Hopefully this wasnt too much of a non-plot chapter. It'll get good the next one though!

R/R!


	17. Blood

Sorry for the delay.

Btw there are hints at Narusasu in this chapter. I'm just warning you cuz some people apparently don't like ti and freaked out over it last time I had some Narusasu. So this is a warning...now read on, fellow viewers!

-------------

Ashlee smiled down at the little ones nestling against her breasts, feeding quietly while one of them was complaining about not getting food yet. "Honestly, we don't now what to name them yet.."

Naruto tilted his head at this, surprised. "Didn't you...already plan their names?"

The mother shook her head, glancing over at her companions. "We thought it'd be easier once we saw what they looked like. It's not that much easier at all, I'm afraid." She sighed, gently caressing the wailing baby's head with a delicate comfort.

Sasuke said nothing, too focused in the babes to be really interested. Why they were so fascinating to him, he wasn't really sure. They just made him have a sense of being loving and protecting. Perhaps because they were so small..

Ashlee noticed the longing stare and smiled, deciding not to embarrass the poor hound. "So, Naruto, what are you two gonna do today?"

Naruto tilted his head and thought. "I dunno...something in the village. We're gonna give you two some privacy."

She let out a sigh. "I hope you mean cordial privacy, because I don't need to be having another litter so soon."

Naruto laughed and Sasuke smirked a bit. They then sat in silence, letting it peacefully dwell until the two lovers stood up and left the house, leaving the nursing mother to wait for her husband to finish her breakfast.

As they walked slowly, hand in hand, they didn't speak, but let the silence say things that seemed better fit than words. After a second, their peaceful stroll was stopped abruptly, when a large growling noise was heard.

Sasuke tensed up, then glanced over at his lover. "Naruto.."

An embarrassed grin was his reply. "Can we get something to eat?"

----

A small gurgle erupted from the tiny throat.

Sighing softly, she gently patted the young girl on the back, trying to quell the hiccups erupting there. "Sh now baby.."

"Is she ok?" Cain asked softly, kneeling down to pat the baby's head.

"Of course hon, she probably got backed up on some spit. You're gonna worry yourself sick, babe. This is normal baby stuff."

His ears flattened a bit. "Well, sorry for being a protective dad, I've never had to take care of a baby..."

She smiled gently, rubbing his cheek. "I know hon, I never said it was a bad thing." She tilted her head. "Why don't you go get some fresh air and grab more firewood?"

Shaking her head as he went outside, the mom sighed gently, nuzzling against her babies, which now had quieted down and were napping. It would only seem more perfect if she could figure out what to name them...

----

"Ah, this feels nice.."

Naruto had suggested going to a bath house, and of course, Sasuke being Sasuke, they rented out a private room where they wouldn't have to deal with strangers. So now it was just the two of them, one sitting calmly relaxed against the wall, and one splashing around a bit, smiling and flushed from the temperature of the water.

"Oy, dobe, don't put on that look unless you want be to take you again."

"Pervert," was the response, the blond grumbling and trying not to blush more. _Trying._ "Anyways..." he added, trying to be as non-chalant as possible, "Isn't it about time I had a turn on top?"

An eyebrow was raised. "I did not realize there was a guideline on who gets to fuck who." A smirk was added on. "Can't you just forget about it and lay down like a good little boy?"

"T...That's not fair! I have every right to fuck you as much as you would me!"

The smirk. "Alright. You can do me...if you can best me."

"Best you at wha-"

And then the room was echoed with curses and struggles as they were suddenly locked in a wrestling contest, neither of them wanting to lose.

------

It was quiet in the house. Even the animals outside weren't making a noise.

Ashlee stood still in the middle of the room, her eyes fixed on the other one that was blocking the door way. Though it was hard to make out his features, she knew it was no friendly stranger. And she could smell Cain on him.

The voice was smooth and calm, but there was a deadly force hiding beneath it. "I won't ask you again. Where are they?"

She smirked, a bit of blood trailing down her forehead. "I don't negotiate with pigs," she forced out calmly, not letting the man get to her.

He sighed, tsking at her as if he were disappointed with a child. "There's no reason for me to hurt you if you just tell me...I guess you want to die?"

Ashlee just smirked, her eyes glowing a bit. "Bring it on."

-----

"That was fun," Naruto chirped as they walked down the street together, the fox having his hands behind his head with a grin on his face.

Meanwhile the Uchiha seemed sulky, and a bit...sluggish. "Easy for you to say, you won the match after all."

"Don't be such a baby, you didn't mind at all when we were doing it."

"Right..." They both smiled at the sight of Ashlee's house as they approached. It was such a cozy house that it welcomed you in.

Sasuke stopped though, and Naruto had to turn back and look at him. "What it is, Sasuke?"

The usually stony expression was now hinted with fear. "I...I smell blood."

The blond's eyes widened, and they both suddenly took off, racing towards the house in a frantic panic. As they neared, they paled at the sight of the sliding door opened, and blood marks on the side of it, as if someone tried to claw their way out. They entered cautiously into the house, alert but worried.

Blood was littered all over the floor, and smeared as if the sources were dragged along. Though the blood was clearly there, no bodies were seen. Sasuke guessed they wouldn't find any either. In fact the house seemed deserted. Suddenly the intruder's left over smell hit Sasuke's nose, and he gasped. "Kabuto!"

Naruto looked at him. "What..?"

"Kabuto was the one who did this. He...was the replacement dog for Itachi." Onyx eyes looked into blue ones. "He's a good hunter, but...he's insane with power and blood lust. I don't think..."

"Oh god, the babies...??" Naruto suddenly choked out, running off to go search. Sasuke realized too, and he followed suit, hoping to catch any traces of their scent over the reek of blood and struggle.

Naruto was off alone in one room, breathing erratically as his search was in vain. "H..he wouldn't of...he can't...they.." Tears streamed down his face, sniffling. "Please no..."

A small whimper caught his attention.

Hanging on to it like a life line, he sobered up enough and listened carefully, crawling to the soft cries. They were coming from the corner of the room, where a bed table lay with a sheet over it. Carefully, he lifted up the sheet to reveal all three of them shivering and looking uncomfortable, but very alive and well.

Sighing in relief, he called for Sasuke and they bundled up the precious babies, holding them gently in their arms. They stared down at the bundles, silence in between them until Naruto spoke with a broken voice.

"What do we do now...? Sasuke.."

The answer he got was short and deadly. "We kill Kabuto."

---------

Next chappie is the last one...I believe...maybe an epilogue after that, but nothing serious.

R/R!


	18. The End

Well, I had no inspirations or ideas on how to write the last chapter. So I just made a epilogue/ending kinda thingy...sorry if it isnt jam packed. I just needed a satisfying conclusion, considering how much writer's block I am facing.

So, hopefully you enjoy.

--

Naruto sighed quietly into the air around him, feeling a bit nostalgic as he stared off into the sunset. It was times like this that kept him at peace.

"Daddy!"

He smiled at the familiar voices shouting at him in unison. Turning away from the landscape, he glanced curiously at the young children running up to him. "Well well, did you guys have fun today?"

"Yeah!" Ashe declaired, smiling brightly. "Can we come back soon?"  
**  
Naruto and Sasuke stood quietly, side by side, staring up at the cliffs that faced them. They had traveled out here for their showdown, the only way to have a hope of a peaceful future. Knowing the infants were safe with the doctor that helped birth them until...if they came back, they held no worries as they searched the woods, the Uchiha following his nose to the trail that would lead them to their enemy. No words were spoken, their determination keeping them focused.**

Surprisingly, neither of them had requested to leave the other behind. It was unspoken that they did this together as one, and nothing would change that, even the possibility of death. And after a simply exchange of 'I love yous' and a tender last kiss, they had not said anything to each other during their search. It was their goodbye, if things turned for the worst.

"I want to visit again too, daddy," Cailey said, sounding energetic. "The flowers were are so beautiful! I made a crown today!"

He laughed, ruffling her hair. "Alright then, we'll come back as soon as possible. You all wait for me by the road...Tachi, watch over your sisters."

As they ran for their destiantion, laughing amongst themselves, the smile quickly fell from the fox's face, and he turned to stare at the lone gravestone he came to visit many times. He sighed quietly, setting down the flowers he had bought. "Until next time..."

**"Well, well...it seems you both came."**

They tensed, turning to face the figure now right in front of them. The silver haired hound smiled, pressing his spectacles closer to his face. "Well then, isn't this romantic? Two lovers who will die side by side.."

Sasuke growled. "The only one dying here is you, Kabuto."

"We'll see about that." The trained hunter suddenly surged forward, rushing at the two with a deadly fury. The other two stood poised, waiting as they met head on in a clash that started the beginning of the end.

Naruto finally gathered his tears and met his children at the bottom of the hill. They talked happily as they trotted down the road towards their house, which was a few miles away. But they were strong children, like their parents once had been. They could handle it.

"Daddy.." Tachi paused, then smiled up at him. "I want to bring flowers too, next time."

It took a second to realize what the boy was implying, but then the blond smiled, eyes watering again. "Of course."  
_**  
**_**Naruto and Sasuke moved out of the way as another deadly swipe was aimed at them. Twisting quickly, Kabuto set his sights on the fox, lashing out. Fortunately, he had expected the attack him and caught the fist shooting at him, aiming a punch of his own. A twist, and his enemy was able to grab onto the wrist before it impacted and twisted it until a growl of pain erupted. Any more and the bone would definitely break...**

And then Sasuke came up from behind, catching Kabuto off guard with a kick to the side. Grunting, the silver haired man pulled away then receded a bit, smirking at them. "This is fun. I can't wait to destroy you both.."

They lashed at each other again, a blur of bodies to any onlookers that watched this battle take place. Naruto and Sasuke made a good team in countering off the attacks, and they seemed to be having the upper hand. But, unfortunately, the other hound was slowly losing his sense of restraint, and was now lunging at them like a deranged animal.

"Oorichimaru will be pleased with me after this! I will not fail his orders!!"

Suddenly Kabuto shot his leg out, effectively causing Naruto to trip and fall backward. The other smirked, pulling up his sharp claws and moving to strike the fox in the chest.

A scream ran through the battlefield.

Naruto smiled at the sight of their home. He had returned here with his children, to his house that once belonged to their true mother as well, and he had built up on it, making sure there was plenty of room for his new family. He would never leave that house, too many memories were there, and he never wanted to give that up.

"Dad! What are you doing, let's get home!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Uzumaki smiled and yelled sorry to his children, following them as they looked eager to be at their house again.

**Naruto opened his eyes, wondering if he was dead. Something warm and wet dribbled onto his arm, and he glanced up, not expecting what he saw.**

Sasuke stood in front of him, a clawed hand pushed through his chest. He stared in wonder down at the blond, before smiling a bit. "I...made it..." then he groaned and slumped to the ground as the hand was roughly pulled out. The fox couldn't think, couldn't register the sight of the bloody body in front of him. His lover, his friend...his...

He choked, unable to move as Kabuto neared him, licking his nails clean. "Well well, now that I've taken care of him, shall we put you out of your misery?"

Too bad he didn't expect the look of pure anger aimed at him, and the determined blond to lash out at him with all his might, fighting with both their strengths now, and more. It was over before the hound even could register this newfound strength.

Naruto sighed as he entered the house, scolding his children as they ran around the living room. "Settle down kids, and go wash up for dinner," he barked, watching as they grumbled but stumbled down the hallways, their shouts never fading away.

He sighed again, glancing around this room and letting his mind drift back to that day. The day when Sasuke sacrificed his life for his own...

**Naruto panted, barely even registering the amount of blood on his body, or the fact that it was he who had killed Kabuto, leaving him and his spilling blood to cool and fade into the earth. He only knew that he walked towards his broken lover, a sense of emptiness filling him. Pulling the raven's head into his lap, he cried as those beautiful eyes opened weakly, staring into his own. "You saved me Sasuke..."**

"Of course...I...love you...Naruto..."

"I love you too, Sasuke," he whispered into the room, letting his memories of that day go back into hiding for now.

"What are you mumbling to yourself for?" a smooth voice asked him, arms wrapping around his chest and a head resting on his shoulder. The blond let himself smile, turning to face the dark haired man. "Nothing, just thinking, Sasu-kun."

A scowl was his response. "I make you and the kids dinner and you get me with that silly pet name, dobe."

"I'm not a dobe, bastard!"

_**And that's how life was.**_

--

I hope you enjoyed! And sorry if this wasn't the ending you were hoping for. Until next time, readers!


	19. Author Note

--

Alright, I think I need to clear up a few things after reading some of the reviews.

Ok, for one, I did say there might be an epilogue, but there isnt any, or technically the last chapter I wrote was the epilogue. For those who are thinking that another chapter is coming, there isn't. That was the end, no more will be written.

And for those who were confused if Sasuke died or not, no worries, that WAS him at the end of the chapter, he is alive and well. The gravestone was a marking place for Ashlee and Cain, though their actual bodies were never found. And the 'sacrificed his life' line was a figure of speech, expressing simply the depth that Sasuke would go to keep Naruto safe. But he didn't really die, he was just hurt for a while. Happy endings for all.

I hope that cleared things up a bit. And again, sorry that the ending might not of been satisfying, but I had to complete it then or I'd never get it done. I'm gonna be working on that other sasunaru one and get that one knocked out too, and then I'm gonna actually be working on some RoyEd stories from FMA. So I hope to see you readers elsewhere.

Chao!


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